Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-09-19
WOULD DESIGNATE
FEDERAL HIGHWAY
Large and Enthusiastic Gathering at
Blowing Rock Saturday Looking
to Establishment of Federal High
way Route Through This Section

/
way Route Through This Section
About rs representative citizens
of Boone, Blowing Rock, Linville,
Lenoir, Sparta, Jefferson, Galax and
Independence, Va, gathered togeth-
er last Saturday afternoon at May
view Manor, Blowing Rock, for the
purpose of starting a movement to
secure number for proposed fed
erai highway connecting No. 121 at
the Virginia lipe and running via
Sparta, jefferson, Boone, Blowing
Rock, Linville, Pineola, Crossnore
and Altamont where it would merge
with state highway No. SO. The
meeting was sponsored by the town
of Blowing Rock, under the leader
ship of Mayor G. C. Robbins and a
sumptuous banquet was given in
honor of the assembly.
Prof. |. G. Greer of Boone was
made temporary chairman of the
meeting, while Attorney Ira T. John
ston of jefferson acted as secretary.
The meeting was one of the most en-
thusiastic highway gatherings ever
held in the county. State Highway
Commissioner R. A. Doughton in
formed the assembly, through a rep
J resentative, that he would ask that
the number be adopted and the route
designated without delay, while Mr..
| Kistler, highway commissioner of
the seventh district, brought the
assurance that the portion of his
roads affected would be dependable
every day in the year within the
next four months. Commissioner
A. S. Hanes Of this district, sent the
information that his link of the
thoroughfare is now a thoroughly de-
pendable road 365 days in the year.
Congressman R. L. Doughton ad-
dressed the gathering and promised
his full and hearty support to the
movement both as member of con-
gress and as a private citizen. Mr.
Doughton is a member of the house
committee on roads and outlined the
procedure in getting a federal num-
ber. The matter is first taken up
with an association composed of high
way chairmen from each state. Fol
lowing the favorable action of this
organization on a project the bureau
of roads, operating under the depart
ment of agriculture, recommends
that the route be adopted by the
federal government, and the route is
at once placed on the map as fed
eral highway.
Others present at the meeting in
cluded the chief engineer for the
state highway commission; Mr.. W.
A. Merchant Of New Jersey; Mr..
Mebane of Great Falls, S. c.; C. w.
Hughes of Columbia, S. c.; Hugh
MacRae of Linville and Wilmington,
and R. L. Gwyn of Lenoir, and busi-
ness and professional men from each
of the towns in this section to be af
fected, several of whom made timely
| talks or suggestions.
A permanent organization was
formed, which is to be known as the
Western North Carolina Park to
Park Highway Association, and l. G.
| Greer of Boone was named as chair
man and G. C. Robbins of Blowing
Rock secretary. An executive COM
mittee was also named which in
clrdes two members from each town
through which the federal highway
is expected to pass. This committee
is to be called together by the sec
retary at any time and the organiza-
ton is expected to keep working un-
til great federal highway is COM
pleted through this section linking
Montreal and Miami The local link
of the thoroughfare will connect
the Great Smoky Mountain National
Park in Tennessee and North Caro-
lima with the Shenandoah National
Park in Virginia, and will provide
one of the most scenic mountain
highways in eastern America.
1t is pointed out by the sponsors
of the movement that North Carolina
or especially this section, is complete
ly isolated insofar as federal high
ways are concerned. The only
thoroughfare of this kind touching
I North Carolina traverses the eastern
section of the state, and inasmuch as
the major part of the tourist travel
from north to south, follows nation-
al highways, the success of this VEN
ture means the success OF this Sec
ton as one of the greatest resorts in
| the country.