The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-03-20
HIGHWAY NO. 3 IS
DEFINITELY LOCATED
BABCOCK SELECTS THE CEN
TRIAL ROUTE BETWEEN SAUK
CENTRE AND MELROSE
PAVING SHOULD FOLLOW
co. COMMISSIONERS SHOULD
VOTE SIPS, 900 BONDS AGREED
UPON LAST FALL

Highway Commissioner c.. M.
Babcock has definitely decided upon
the permanent location highway route
No. 8, between Sank Centre and Mel
rose and has selected the so-called
Central route.
There were three routes under dis
cussion by the Highway Department.
At mass meeting of Sank Centre
citizens held Monday evening, Sept.
"a, 1923, at the Community Club
rooms, the three proposed routes were
thoroughly discussed and explained
by the advocates. However, this
statement isn't quite correct because
it was apparent from the outset that
Highway Commissioner Babcock
would not consider the present route.
a letter received by David B.
Caughren, president of the Mer-
chants National Bank, from Chief
Engineer John H. Mullen of the
Highway department, states that the
so-called Central route has been Sc
lected. Mr.. Mullen's letter under.
date of March 18th, follows here
with:
"Mr. David B. Caughren, Pres't.,
merchants NaClOnal BANK,
Sank Centre, MINI.
St. Paul Mimi, March 10, 1924.
Dear Sir:
Answering your letter of the 18th
to Mr.. Babcock, in regard to loca-
ton of Trunk Highway Nos, I beg
to advise that it has been determined
to locate this road south of Sank
Centre and following the general
course of the old road to a point
about midway of Sank Centre and
Melrose, thence east on the sub-di-
vision line crossing the Great North
ern Railway on an overhead bridge
following the north side of the rail-
road into Melrose.
"One of the reasons for not taking
the old route all the way to Melrose
is that we could not obtain neces-
sary depth for an underpass just east
of the schools in Melrose."
''Yours very truly,
Minnesota Highway Department,
John H. Mullen,
Chief Engineer"
The route selected (the Central
route) goes south out of Sank Cen
tire on Main street under the overhead
Great Northern bridge to the east and
west highway at the city limits, just
north of the Henry Bergman farm. 1t
then follows the present road in a
southeasterly direction to the Gibson
and Walker corners and thence
straight east to the Great Northern
tracks, which as the letter indicates,
will be crossed by an overhead
bridge, and on into Melrose on the
north side of the track.
Commissioner Babcock was "sold"
on the so-called northern route which
would bring Highway Nos. and,
into Sank Centre from the east on
Third street. One of the strong
arguments in favor of the so-called
Central route at the September mass
meeting was the fact that two of the
school BUSES transporting the chill
dren to the Sank Centre Consolidated
schools, traverse over the so.called
Central route, making it a great ac-
comodation to many patrons of the
school, the children, and tax payers
if the Central route was selected.
After full discussion of the sub
ject those in attendance at the Sep
TENDER meeting, authorized a resolu-
ton to Highway Commissioner Bah
cock, urging the adoption of the So
called Central route.
1t will be recalled that Route A
merges into Route 8 at present, just
east of the small white school house
and about one-half mile after one
crosses Sank river at Stewards
bridge. The arrangement of the
highway viii make it necessary for
Route to be extended directly north,
to intersect Highway No. 8 on the
newly located route.
The Herald is glad that the ques-
ton has been finally decided upon by
Mr.. Babcock and now that it has
been settled, no doubt the County
Commissioners will vote the 1926
100000 bonds agreed upon when a like
sum was voted last fall, to extend the
paving from st. Cloud to st. Joe.
The amount available will not be
sufficient to grade and pave the dis
lance necessary to place highway No.
3 in the condition that the traffic
warrants, but the Herald understands
that sufficient money will be taken out
of the State Highway fund to extend
the paving from Sank Centre east of
the city of Melrose to point where
the gravel road starts.
Under the new route, highway No.
8 will travel the entire length Of
Main street of Melrose from north
to south.
Me- C,cc- C%~xxJ-~,. Lcr Ioox