Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-06-26
Movement Here To Block
ChangeM u. S. Route One
Matter Is Being Taken To State Highway Commission
and Other Cities and Tow ms Will Cooperate; Coope-
ration of All tzens Is Urged

A definite movement was under way
here today to forestal any diversion
of traffic from the national highway
Route 1 through this city to propos-
cd route further to the east, and
netition was being circulated call
for cash contributions toward fund
to fight the project. 1t was said by
SPONSORS that assistance would De
sought from other cities and towns in
volved. including Oxford, Durham,
Burlington, Greensboro Franklinton,
Youngsville, Wake Forest and Norma
Aid has already been pledged from
some of these localities, which would
stand to lose with Henderson.
The local sponsors plan to take the
matter up with the State Highway
and Public Works Commission next
week in Raleigh, and also to seek rep
resentation in Washington from the
Federal governments angle. Contrl-
buttons to the expense fund are being
received by r. D. Starkey, who said
today the cooperation of the entire
community was being sought.
Meanwhile, inquiry was made by
the Daily Dispatch today through its
Raleigh bureau at the State Highway
and Public Works Commission offices
in that city as to the status of the agl-
tation. 1t was learned that the mat
ter had not come directly before the
present highway commission, and
there was no definite project for it.
Capus M. Waynick former highway
chairman, was also contacted about
the matter and he recalled that about
six months ago his department had
considerable correspondence with the
Virginia Highway Commission about
an alternate route that would follow
the general direction being agitated in
Warren county He recalled that the
commission did at that time agree to
have a survey made of the proposed
route from Warrenton to the Roanoke
River but he did not know whether
it had been made.
The idea is to construct an alter
nate highway southwark from Peters
burg by way of Lawrenceville, thence
to Warrenton, there to connect with
a soil road to Louisburg and to Ra-
leigh. 1t was estimated that Is miles
could be trimmed from the approx
mately 125 miles between Petersburg
and Raleigh by way of the new route.
The project would call for new
bridge across the Roanoke river and
would, it was understood, call for a
paved highway if and when construct
ed.
Information from Raleigh is that
most of the agitation has come from
Virginia, but that Warren county peO
pie, who would be in direct line Of
the proposed route, are also interested
No delegation has appeared before
the present highway commission from
any quarter in behalf of the proposal
the Dispatch bureau learned in Ra-
leigh this afternoon, and it appeared
that such official contacts as had
been established were prior to the
coming of the present commission,
and even what had been done prior
thereto was not very definite.
Meantime, Henderson groups inter
ested appeared determined today to
let no more grass grow under their
feet, and the rate of activity evident
today pointed to a certainty that
fight would be made against diver
sion of traffic from Route 1, which is
quite an asset to this city and to
others along the route.
There has been considerable agi-
tation here in the past year for widen
ing of Route 1 between Henderson
and Norlina. The county commission
ers have gone on record in favor of
an appeal to the highway commits
sion, and the Junior Chamber of Com
merce has been quite active in that
direction also.
The chief dependence of the agi-