The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-04-19
HYDE ANTICIPATES
ADVANCEMENT AS
ROADS DEVELOP
-croaisn Sound Bridge Seen AS
One Of Biggest Factors Aiding
Couniy's Economy
BY THos. E. SPENCER

BY THOS. E. SPENCER
New INTERPRETATIONS of as
phalt running through the coastal
lowlands and tied together with
bridges of steel and concrete -
are providing new outlets for Hyde
County and opening up new oppor-
tunities for a more progressive
economy.
But whether or not growth and
greater wealth comes to this long
isolated region depends upon TAX
ing advantage of these new assets
in building a greater tourist busi-
ness and utilizing markets brought
nearer to the fields and inland
waters that make up this land by
the sea.
At least that is the opinion of
some of the leaders of the county,
including w. Warren Watson of
Lake Landing, vice president of
the Southern Albemarle Associa-
ton, who says that a better day
.dawns for this section.
81 foresee many improvements
for our section as the result of
the road improvements of the past
20 years." Mr.. Watson declared,
observing that some progress has
already been made in this direc-
ton.
Mr.. Watson noted that prior to
roads being built, every bushel and
pound of produce grown in Hyde
County had to be carried to Wash
ington, New Bern or Elizabeth
City by boat.
Today" he went on, "Big trucks
make use of the many outlets and
carry seed, grain, potatoes and
other truck crops to the outside
markets, far beyond the three for
mer available markets"
He continued, "Our produce is
marketed as far away as Florida
and Texas to the South and Balti-
more, Philadelphia, New York and
in some instances into Canada.
Trucks from these far away mar
kets come here in due seasons and
pick up our produce for their local
markets. All this has come about
by roads having been built"
Mr.. Watson also noted that not
only have roads been beneficial as
to markets but says vast change
generally is noticeable in the ap-
pearance of homes and farms.
Roads bring in visitors" he
said, adding that hotels and motels
have been built, that render serv-
ice equal to those elsewhere.
with these various attractions,
sometime, somewhere a passer by
or stay over will make investments
and soon become an asset to the
community or county," the Lake
Landing man observed. "Were it
not for these roads and bridges
they might have passed US by" he
went on.
He concluded: GAS these roads
have been built traffic has gradu-
ally increased. With improvements
and the building Of Croatan bridge
more business will come our way
And at the same time that new
highway outlets are coming to the
county via the Croatan bridge a
bigger and better harbor facility
assured at Engelhard by the Fed
eral government will provide yet
another improved transportation
link with the outside world.
The 12-foot-deep channel to be
dredged shortly will mean that big
Inland Waterway-going boats and
barges can come to the county to
take cargoes of grain and produce
to market in ports up and down
the Atlantic seaboard from water
front grain elevators. It will also
mean that ocean-going fish traw-
lers will be able to dock at this
Pamlico Sound port.
But while land and water trans
portation routes are improving the
county is yet without an airport
or landing field - the missing link