Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1921-06-21
VARIOUS ROUTES TO MARTINsBURG
AND OTHER POINTS.

VARIOUS ROUTES TO MARTlNSBURC
AND OTHER POINTS.
Charles Town. W. Va, June 20. 1921.
On June 18th there was meeting of the
three County Courts of the Eastern Panhan-
die to pass resolutions favoring certain
Road system. Previously the Berkeley and
Jefferson County Courts had met in Charles
Town and passed resolution favoring the
route between Charles Town and Martins
burg via Ieetown and kearneysville. At
the meeting in Martinsburg another route
was proposed thru Shepherdstown and the
courts finally decided to meet again two
weeks later, in the meanwhile getting some
express ion from the people of their counties
as to their wishes in this matter.
Pending this meeting it seems well that
we have a general discussion of the State
Road System in jefferson County, bearing in
mind that the final decision of the choice of
routes lies with the State Highway Com
mission, and these routes will not finally be
decided upon until the various factors of
cost, grades, alignment, distance, railroad
crossings, etc, as well service to the peo-
pie of the various routes have been deter
mined and weighed one against another.
/ feel sure that the State Highway Com
mission would like TO have an expression OF
the wishes of the people of jefferson County
as to their choice of State Roads and will be
guided by them as far they can, but they
limited hy the provisions of the Good
Roads Bill, ly lack of sufficient funds and
by the fact that the State Roads System is
built by and for the people of the State as
whole and not by counties. We must
recognize the fact that they will become
thru lines of travel and when completed the
volume of traffic will be far in excess. The
Importance of the proper location of these
roads is therefore very great.
The law establishing the State Roads
System gives the State Highway Commits ior
the power to adopt existing roads to To-
o. est w
ment or grade can be improved, or a more
direct route be establish he'd. It gives the
Commission the right of condemning any
property for road purposes. The right oi
way must be at least forty feet wide and
wider when necessary. These rights of way
must be provided and paid for by the county
and must be prepared to either give the
additional lands along the State roads pay
for them in taxes. 1t is too soon for tn.
Highway Commission to have formulated
any rules for alignment but it is safe to as
| sumo that the roads laid out will resemble
a railroad with tangents and curves and al
sharp angles eliminated. 1t is reasonable tx
suppose that they will not hesitate to leave
the existing roadbed and build another where
straighter or better can be had.
The State Highway Commission is EN-
powered to locate, establish, construct ans
maintain "a system of State roads and High
ways connecting the various county seats o
the state and with important roads of ad
| joining states" Under this clause il would
| seem that jefferson County is entitled to ;
road connecting Charles Town and Martins
| burg, with connections to Shepherdstown
| Harpers Ferry and the Clarke County linz
south of Rippon, as these are importan
| roads to adjoining states. The routes will
| be taken over and built from time to tim,
as funds available. or if already bull
taken over and maintained by the State. i
| is hoped that the increase in auto and trucl
| licenses will ultimately take care of tn.
| interest and sinking fund of the bonds to b,
| issued leaving the county to provide for th'
| county district" as the rest of the road.
are designated.
The exact amounts have not yet been al
| loted to the various counties, but of tn.
! 81 900 600 of bonds authorized by the leg
| islature. Jefferson County's share will b,
about $22S,440 This is about SIS of tn,
whole which is the ratio of Jefferson
County's II miles of Class A Roads to thu
1861 Glass A Roads in the state, 20 per cen
| of this may be set aside by the Highway
Commits sion to build connecting links leavinJ
s182.752 to be spent in Jefferson Count!
the first two years. which will build five t.
ten miles of road. according to type and 10
cation. The assessed valuation of Jefferson
| County being 1884 of the total for the State
Now as to the mileage of the variou
routes that have been suggested. | hav
| before me map of Jefferson, Berkeley an
Morgan counties prepared by the w. Va
and u. S., Geological surveys and by scalin,
we have the following distances, approx
! imately correct: From Charles Town to Lee
| town SIS, Leetown- Kearneysville (Dr. Lucas
eorner) S.S: Kearneys Vile Martins bur,
| (either South Queen Street or East Kim
Street, Ga: total 100 miles: ITO of whic
are in jefferson County. From Charlie
Town to Martinsburg via Leetown and Mi
Zion Church 1875 miles: 8.S miles of whic
are in jefferson County. By building tn
| road direct from Martins burg to Shepherds
town it is 8.4 miles by either route. Wit
"a and 2.8 miles in jefferson by Billmye
Mill or Wyncoop Spring respectively From
| Shepherdstown to Charles Town there ar
| nIlfsa old nil
! Shenandoah junction with "a of a mile O
new road to avoid the two railroad crossing
| and bad curves near Morgans Grove L.
miles Via Halltown 11.8 miles. On tn
| first two routes 0.5 miles has already bee
| cons tructed Charles Town Burketts) and Of
| the last, "a miles (Charles Town Halltown)
A compromise road from Charles Town t.
Shenandoah Junction 5.5 miles, Shenandoah
Junction to Walpers Crossroads 3.3 miles
Walpers Crossroads to Martins burg s..
miles, total of 14.7 miles. 104 of which ar
| in jefferson County. A spur from Walper
Crossroads to Shepherdstown 3.s miles will
give 81 miles Shepherdstown Martins burr
and r. miles Shepherds town Charles Town
| The road from Charles Town to the Clark
County line To miles and from Charles Tow
to the bridge at Harpers Ferry 7.3 miles o
which 81 will be completed this year, will
complete our allotment of State roads
1t would be better for both through an,
| local traffic to have direct connections be
| tween Charles Town Martins burg. Charlie
/
| herd town which would require the con
struction of 32.4 miles of road. The Charlie
| Town Martins burg road via Leetown an
| kearneys vile would eliminate one cross I'M
| of the main line of the B. & o. is / 3 mile
| longer than by the Junction. Via Mt Ziol
| Church shorter route but through a poo
| country, and difficult construction. Both o
| these routes would eliminate Shenandoah
! Junction and Shepherdstown, the former be
ing the principal passenger station in jeff
erson County, and the latter the secon,
largest agricultural region in the county, t,
say nothing of the connection with tn,
Mary land roads at this point. The roa,
| from Martins burg Shepherdstown and Shep
herds town Charles Town would require tn
cons truction of 1874 miles and serve NOR
local and thru traffic than the Leetown route
but would be some four miles longer between
the two county seats. 1t would seem tina
the Shenandoah Junction route would com
1t would require 1875 miles of cons truction
bat would increase the distance from Shep
| herds town. Martinsburg 1.3 miles and from
shepherds town. Charles Town 81 miles
| further reduction of mileage could be had b,
running this road along North of the N 4
w. Railroad to the Junction and thence fol
lowing the Warm Spring road would reacl
Martins burg in 1879 miles.
These are only some of the features of tn,
various routes. The subject is of such i'm
portance to the whole county that we SHOULD
give it our most careful thought befor,
| reaching any decision.
Yours sincerely
CAPT. M. w. MCDONALD.
BuV the hest Garden Saad obta;o