Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-08-11
LONGEST PAVEMENT
IN WORLD OPENED
st. Paul and Duluth Mayors
Shake Hands Across Ribbon
Which is Cut by Commissioner
BabcOck- Pine City is Good
Host to Crowd.

One of the largest crowds ever to-
assemble in Pine City witnessed the
formal opening of Highway No. /.
"Minnesota's Avenue" last Saturday.
1t was, perhaps the most representa-
tive crowd that has ever gathered
| in this county. Laughing children
and grayheaded pioneers. city folks
and farm hands, state dignataries,
and humble citizens, clerks, police
men, and men and women from every
calling, rubbed elbows. 1t was also
gay, carefree crowd smiling and ap-
plauding and feeling very generous.
The Duluth delegation was the first
to arrive, led by Mayor Snively of Du-
luth and his group of Duluth boosters
dressed in pink busters and straw
caps with the motto, Duluth, the Sea
| Port of the Future" The 125th Band
from Duluth marched on to the bridge
| and gave twenty minute concert
| while waiting for the St. Paul dele
| cation to arrive. The ST. Paul car
| avian of autos arrived about lao with
Mayor Hodgson and his Police Band
in the lead. Mayor julius Dosey,
Pine City's most prominent pioneer.
met the two city mayors, and after
exchanging greetings with each he
| invited them to the center of the
bridge to cut the ribbon which SYM
bolized the official opening of Mime
sofas longest concrete road. The
thandc thoo norodod tbro, ,h Tho town
finally ending at the county fair
grounds where the Leon Heath post
of the American Legion had charge.
Here both bands rendered programs
which were undoubtedly the most
keenly enjoyed features of the pro-
gram. Mayor Hodgson of ST. Paul
spent several hours fraternizing with
the people and was SO we'll pleased
with the performance of the Police
Band that he could not refrain from
stepping into their midst and thank
ing them in few we'll chosen words
for their splendid music. He told
the Policemen that he was proud Of
them and the splendid way in which
they represented St. Paul, and said
that he hoped they could be sent out
on many similar occasions in the fu-
ture.
There was program of races be-
fore a packed grandstand and also a
ball game between the Northern Pa
cific team of st. Paul, and the Mora
team of the Eastern Minnesota Lea
que. The ball game was won by
the Northern Pacific team, the score
being Z to 4. Another highly enter
tanning feature of the day was the
performance of the fife and drum
corps from the American Legion posts
No. IS of North Branch, and No. Of
st. Paul. These organizations stopped
off on their way to the state conven-
ton at Hibbing and gave the crowd
an exhibition of we'll finished drilling
and bugling. North Branch carried
a motto which read North Branch.
the Hub of the Potato Industry"
In the course of the ceremonies at
the center of the bridge, Charles M.
Babcock, Minnesota's Father of Good
Roads, made the following statement
which perhaps best typifies the senti-
ment of the occasion: "The people in
northern and southern Minnesota are
one people, thinking the same
thoughts, and to large extent, liv-
ing the same lives. Those in nor
thern counties love Minnesota as much
as those in the southern counties.
All they need is a better acquaintance
and better understanding. 1t is our
hope that we may before many years
see highway system built so well
that no community will be isolated at
any time of the year. Then we can
say we have a truly united common
wealth."
The festivities of the day were
brought to a close with a pavement
dance in the street opposite the court
house. This dance was an innovation
to many and was well patronized and
enjoyed, there being as many as three
hundred couples dancing at one time.