Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-08-31
GRANT HIGHWAY TO BE LEADING
ROAD IN STATE
Paving Now Being Rushed Between
Chicago and East Dubuque
Waterloo Times Tribunel

(Waterloo Times Tribune)
Fort Dodge, August "a. - Grant
Highway, in few years, will be the
principal interstate road across Iowa
and Illinois, according to Malcolm
MacKinnon, of Rockford, ILL.,, secre-
tary of the Grant Highway Improve
,ment association, who Is in Fort Dodge
today.
CAS- soon as the construction Of
the concrete road from Chicago to East
Dubuque is completed" he said, "tra-
vel to and from Chicago and other
eastern points and northern Iowa,
Minnesota, the Dakotas and the rest
of the northwestern states, will in
cline to follow the Grant Highway be-
cause of its directness and shorter
mileage. at present, on account Of the
uncertain condition OF the Grant High
way in Illinois, this. traffic mostly
goes by way OF the Lincoln Highway,
which is completely built in the suck
er state, except for short stretch
near Fulton and another near Elburn.
both of which should be finished in
the next few weeks.
| CONSTRUCTION of the Grant Highway
in Illinois, however, is also under way,
being done by the state at large. Fifty
miles Of pavement are now being laid
in one stretch between Elgin and
Rockford and the prospects are that
pne will be able to drive from the
latter place to the Windy City on a
permanent road all the way by next
spring. Much Of the preliminary work
Of grading and relocation between
Rockford and East Dubuque is also
under way. 1t is the announced pur-
pose of the highway department OF
illinois to complete the Grant High
way in that safe as quickly as pos
sible. 1t will be an 1S-foot concrete
road all the way, with reinforcement
of steel rods. Three rods are laid
lengthways of the road, two near the
outer edges and the other in the CEN
ter.
Meantime the Grant Highway is
being steadily improved in Iowa, in
Dubuque county it is all macadamized
as nearly everyone is aware. Deh-
ware county is completing the gravel
/ ing of the road this year. Buchanan
rounty's part is already graveied.
Black Hawk county plans to finish
the paving next year. Hardin county
has fair gravel between Ackley and
Iowa Falls and good gsavel from the
latter place to Alden. Webster county
and all the Missouri river have been
improving the road constantly. Wood
bury has begun the construction OF
its concrete road system, forty miles
of which will be on the Grant High
day.
"The Grant Highway in Nebraska
is the main state road in the north
ern part OF the state and Is good
route now to central Wyoming and
she Yellowstone Partk, Providing a
detour is made to the north between
| Staurt and Gordon or Staurt and
Chadron, to avoid the heavy sand OF
the more direct route. In Wyoming the
Grant Highway trayerses the central
part Of the state, passing through
Lusk, Manyille, Douglas, Glenrock,
Casper, Shoshoni, Riverton, Dubois
and Jackson.
.'The plan is to carry the Grant
Highway very shirtly across Idaho
and Oregon into Portland. This plan
lis facilitated by the recent improve
ment by the government of the road
thru the Teton pass, making 1t pos
sible now to go from the Jackson
Hole country directly into Idaho at
n point near Idaho Falls. The pro-
posed route in that state and IN
Oregon Is part of the old Oregon
| Trail on which the earliest settlers
of the northwest made their way by
wagon train.
"When completely and permanently
built from Chicago to Portland, as
it will be in the next decade or SO,
the Grant Highway will be known
as the most direct route from Chi
cago to the Yellowstone Park, and
also as the shortest route from Chi
cago to the Pacific coast, as we'll as
the one with the lowest average al
titude. It is said by those who know
the mountain country intimately, that
this route will be available later In
the fan and earlier in the spring than
any OF the others, except those which
traverse the southern states. This is
said to be the only y ate, also, upon
which there are n deserts to be
crossed. II this is true, it should be
!. potent attraction to the transcon-
tinentaT tourist.