The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-07-22
BRIDGE CELEBRATION A
MONUMENTAL SUCCESS
Accomplished IN Big Way Everything An
Event Of This Kind Should Be Designed
To Accomplish

The Chowan River Bridge
celebration participated in bv
the counties of the .Albemarle
region at Edenton Wednesday,
Tulv 20 was the most success
iul celebration ever staged in
the modern history OF the sec
ton. My words are deliber-
atelv chosen.
While II some Il celebration Of
this kind is just another word for
4 biz uicnic AMI Il meeting Of neigh
hourS and its success measured ny
The size uf the crowds the real
worth of rhe event is tn he measured
hv the favorable publicity 1t secures
and the impression made upon the
political powers that have to SIT
respectfully in III the festivities.
Now lets sex what Mayor Virgins
of Edenton and his committee ac-
compliShed.
Here was a new and Important
link in a Great State Highway ana
a national highway aS well. opened
TO the public for the first time.
The Chowan River Bridge was
designed not only To unite the coun-
tie< North and South Of Alhemarle
Sound in one great territory and put
rho rnunrieS North of the Sound
directly On the States great high
way system: it was conceived ana
designed first of all us an Important
link in Il truly Atlantic Coastal
Highway extending all the way
from Montreal. Canada to Key
West. Fla.
Before Chowan River Bridge was
built. Atlantic Coastal Highwa!
tourist traffic never came near the
coastal plains of North Carolina
until it reached Wilmingt;h h via
Richmond and Weldon. There were
no way To route tourists thru the
coastal towns of North Carolina
and the Hampton Roads cities OF
Virginia. because traffic had 10
make a wide fetour miles away from
the coast To get away from the I'M
hrid~ed waters Of the Alhemarle
Sound and Chowan River.
Now They Can Come BY the
Coast
The Chowan River Bridge changes
MI this. diverting SOuthhound trlt-
fl, from Richmond and Petersburg
thru Norfolk. Elizabeth city. Hert-
ford Edenton. Washington. New
Perm and Morehead City. and thence
70 Wilmington. NOrthb0und tr'ftlc
tr,r formerly left the coast at VIII
rirgron and took an inland course
ro Richmond and Fredericksburg
may now follow the coast all the
wuv from Wilmington 10 Norfolk.
The true importance of 'h"Wah
River Bridge i probably not - al'-
rarent 10 the general public mere III
Northeastern North Carolina To-
Jay aS il WAS to Dick job Walter
C,h.ou AMI Il few others VINO 1lr>t
dreamed of il.
\ow lets see what the Ch"wah
River Bridge Celebration at Eden
RON did this week. Here was the
bridge. oren to the public and ready
to serve Il great public need. It's
value Ia the region depends upon
rho Use that iS made of it. Every
automobile that rolls thru region
leaves ten dollars a day in It's tral'
The number of dollars tourist traHeI
l,rinns into section depends upon
rho number of tourists. The num-
Ler of tourists depends i'll the main
uron the advertising Il region gets
The Chowan River Bridge Celehra-
tion NAV be conServatively eStlhlat-
ed to have given many hnhoreo
thousands dollars worth OF ehec-
tive advertising TO the new briaSe
and the cities it serves. Inc at
tention Of millions of newspaper
r.ad ders i'm several states has heeii
directed TO the new bridge ana the
Alhemarle Region. thru hundreds
of columns of newspaper publlcltE'
dnrine the past few weeks. thanks
largely to the effective WORK oi
Ralph Pool. chairman OF the Pu"ii-
city committee.
If brought thousands Of visitors
IN EdentOn who will continue 10
snrpud the news of the great bridge
and the new Atlantic Coastal High
WAY route. And it brought news
paper photographers and motion PIC
ture camera men whose pictures on
moyin" picture screens and III
newspapers and automobile ana
tourist publications will reach mil
lions during the next few weeks.
"The Virginia Dare Trail
But that is Cnly one measure Oh
the success of the celebration at
Edenton. Another measure or It's
success is TO he taken i'll the impress
sion made upon State officials anu
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