The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-18
BADCOCk HAS MEET
WITHLOCAL BOARD
Plan of Road Bond Issue
Is Fully Discussed
ROUTE TO MADELIA
State Officials To Go Over The
Zone; 5000, 900 Now -
Sought


paved road will be the probable re-
suit of special meeting this morn
ing of the Blue, Earth county board
attended by G.. M. Babcock, state
highway commissioner, and other
members of the state highway de-
partment. relative to the issuance by
the board of county road bonds for
the purpose of constructing state
trunk highways.
The members of the highway de-
partment stated to the board mem
bers that it was their desire that
the board issue bonds especially for
the grading of trunk highway No. Is,
leading from Mankato through Lake
Crystal and to Madelia In Walton
wan county, preparatory to the paw
ing Of the road with concrete.
Plan Decided On.
When the meeting adjourned at
eleven o'clock the situation was that
Commissioner Babcock, and State
z. Matters and G.. G. Gladman were
to go over the route today and deter
mine the route of the road which
would lead from Lake Crystal to
Madelia; and the county board was
TO decide whether or not they would
undertake to gravel the detour route
necessary il the road is built. ..
Although other roads were dis
cussed, trunk highway No. 5, in par
ticular, the main point of discussion
was on trunk highway No. 16, that
being the route most desired to have
constructed by the highway depart
ment.
Legal Phases Of Bonding Law.
Commissioner Babcock explained
to the board the legal phases of the
county bonding law and its other
feature. Under the law Blue Earth
county is authorized to bond itself
for S201,000, upon the approval of
sac SAFE highway coin;Gissioner.
This route from Mankato to Lake
Crystal and Madelia Is the most i'm
portant one for Blue Earth county.
The people between Lake Crystal
and Madelia are clamoiing to get
out of the mud and the state desires
to help them first of all", Mr. Bah
cock stated. This piece of road is
one which would have been one of
the first to be constructed in the
event the state road bond issue had
passed. The county will be fully re-
imbursed by the state under the
county road bonding law, and will
have nothing to lose and everything
to gain by having this road built"
State Highway Engineer Mullen
pointed out to the board the propos-
ed route the highway department
would take in building the road. The
route from Mankato to Lake Crystal
would probably go through Mime
opa park to eliminate Pigeon Hill.
From Lake Crystal to Madelia, one
of two routes is proposed to get
away from the present muddy stretch
which has geat number of turns.
Most Favored Route.
- One route, which from discussion
of the engineers this morning, seems
to be the one most favored, goes
west to the railroad tracks, follows
the tracks for two miles and then
south two miles and then angles to
Madelia. The other route is straight
south for three miles from Lake
Crystal and then straight west to
Madelia.
Either of the proposed routes,
when paved viii connect with the
pavement from Madelia to st. James
and will be part OF the system pro-
posed under the Babcock state road
plan.
From discussion among members
or the board it was apparent that
they did not all favor the plan as it
meant having two roads to Lake
Engineer Mullen stated that the
state would agree to do the grading
OF the present road if used as de-
tour and then would maintain it
during the construction period of the
new route The county would have
to do the graveling.
Matter Comes Up June 7.
The matter will be decided at the
next meeting Of the county board
which is set for June Z. In the event
the road construction is approved,
the county will probably be bonded
for 100000, which will be returned
by the state.
Members of the state highway de-
partment pointed out to the board
that Blue Earth county was forum
ate that Commissioner Babcock was
willing to authorize the issuance of
the bonds here as numerous other
counties in the state were having
their requests rejected by the de-
partment, as the commissioner de-
sired to have the most needed roads
in the state bystem built first.
important To Mankato
1.-THE Lake Crystal Madelia road
is Of vast Importance to the bust
ness Of Mankato and Blue Earth
county" said Commissioner Bah.
cock. 1T will give those people tied
up in the mud in the west side of
the county a chance for an outlet
and it will be direct to Mankato. 1t
will be also the connecting link for
all Of the south western part OF the
state. The travel from the south
west is anxious to break through
there and il will center on Mankato.
Several business men of Mankato
attended the meeting. among them
John Nyquist, G.. NJ. Palmer and w:
E. Olson, secretary of the Civic and
Commerce association.
Mr.. Nyouist spoke to the board
members favoring the issuance OF
the bonds for the construction of the
road. He pointed out the vast good
hich would be attained by Mankato