Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-11-23
OUR PIONEER
MOUNTAIN ROAD

Turnpike in the State to Taks the
Place Of the OF 3foll Plank Roads,
James c. Harpsr and William A.
Lenoir Labored Together ii Early
Highway Devslopment.
~. W.<Scott in News and Observer.
OF all the turnpikes absorbed by
the Dixie Highway and converging
upon it, perhaps the most famous
and popular in the state is the Le-
noir and Blowing Rock (old Caldwell
and Watauga) Turnpike, extending
from Lenoir to Blowing Rock. 1t
was incorporated by the Legislature
in 1845 and was, as far as I apa able
to discover, the first graded dit toll
turnpike inaugurated jn-the State to
take the place Of the old plank roads
of which there were quite a number
in those sections Of the State where
the terrain, Ito employ a word that
has come into our vocabulary through
the Great War; was suitable for
easy grading. Naturally there were
more Of these plank roads in the
eastern and central portions Of the
State-the level and gently rolling
sections-than the west. There was
at least one in the west and that
one west of the Blue Ridge from
Asheville to Greenville, South Caro-
lima, which was by an act Of the
Legislature in the early fifties, chang
ed to a graded dirt turnpike.
From 1850 to i859-over a dozen
Of these turnpikes were authorized
in the mountain country by the diff
ferent general assemblies, one, at
least like the Caldwell and Wa
tauga Turnpike, extending from a
point in the upper Piedmont section
in Wilkes across the Blue Ridge
to Jefferson in Ashe County, but the
others were all transmontaine extend
ing between points in Norh Caro-
lima or from points in North Caro-
lima, to points in Virginia, Ten
nessee, Georgia or South Carolina,
all on the Appalachian plateau except
that few going into South Carolina
and Georgia did cross the Blue
Ridge. In the case of all or nearly
all of these turnpike companies, as
in the case of the Caldwell and Wa
tauga Turnpike Company, the State
subscribed a small amount Of stock
and the working capital derived
from the sale Of stock was sup
plemented by the work of the road
hands subject to road work, on the
lines Of the roads, for their con-
struction, which supplement was
almost negligible, from the fact
that great part of the work Of con-
struction was performed through
sparsely settled sections. The Cald-
well and Watauga Turnpike Com
pany was evidently the pioneer in
this industry and constructed the
first dirt road toll turnpike in North
Carolina.
ne EVolutl0n OF NoS0o.
Comparing the road as it was first
completed and ready for use with it
as it is now, we have the most per-
feet illustration of the doctrine of
evolution. At the foot of the Blue
Ridge, where the road started up,
the elevation is about 1900 feet,
and at the crest Of the ridge where
the road crosses, the elevation il
about 1900 feet, an elevation Of
5000 feet to negotiate in building
the road. The distance is now about
IL miles and a rise of 250 feet
to the mile has been graded down
to "trotting" road on the up.
grade; what the distance was when
the road was first completed is q
matter Of speculation, but from time
to time, many times since, the grade
has been softened till it makes ap'
proach to a level road by distribut.
ing and grading the rise Of $50 feet
to the mile over the whole distance
As at first constructed there were
long and dreary climbs, then leve
stretches, and sometimes "lost mo-
ton" by going down when going W
should have been the order of thu
day.
Nearly eighty years ago the pro
gressive citizens Of Caldwell and Wa
tauga counties rallied under the war
cry Of good roads'-and not a
automobile in sight-put their goot
money in the enterprise, some work
ing out their subscriptions by build
ing sections Of the road, and backet
it up with enthusiasm. This was al
public spirit. There was no 'direc
profit in it. 1t may be stated broad
ly that, from lS45 up to 1890 an,
almost as broadly up to the date y:
its sale to the State all the none!
received from tolls on this road, afte
deducting the payments made to tn
toll-gate keepers was spent upol
keeping up and lettering the roa'
and that it had paid no officials ex
cept the toll-collectors.
In 1846-7 the road was laid of
(snrveved) bv Col. James Clarenc