The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-07-13
Highways And Progress
Good Roads Vital 70 Economic
Strength OF Mississippi People
Highways And Progress

dealing with the history and
development of the Mississip-
pi State Highway Department
and the state system of high
waYs.)
Part One deals with Missis-
sippi's economy.
Mississippi has a investment
of over half a billion dollars
in highways, a state system Of
over 5000 miles.
This system sustains an econo-
my which produces annually
50, 024 ,000, 900 in manufactured
goods; $663 ,455 900 in farm pro-
ducts; S390,50 900 in forest pro-
ducts; and additional millions in
oil, gas. and other natural re-
sources.
Highway administration is
entrusted to three elected COM
missioners, Roy c. Adams of the
Northern District, w. F. Dear
man of the Central District and
John d. Smith, of the Southern
District. Funds for building ard
maintaining the system come
from two sources, a share of the
state gasoline tax, and federal
aid for new construction.
Important To Everyone
Why the emphasis on good
roads, and what are some OF
the economic factors which have
made highways the most-used
of all publicly-financed facili-
les?
Take the farmer as an exam
pie. Everything he produces
goes to market over a highway.
His SUPPLIES come the same route,
and when he goes to church
On Sunday, it's over the high
way. The laborer commutes to
his daily job via the highway;
tie factory where he works re-
ceives raw products and ships
finished goods over the high
ways. Nearly 100000 children
ride school buses daily over
these highways. The average
automobile owner travels al
most thirty miles a day to full
fill the countless missions neces-
sary to present-day living.
Transportation In History
Though the pattern of living
has put new emphasis on high
ways, transportation has beer
the key to growth and develop
ment since pioneers hacked
their way into the wilderness
two centuries or more ago.
Early settlement of Mississippi
took place along the rivers and
coastal areas where boats were
the chief mode of movement for
people and goods. Old Biloxi,
the first white settlement in the
Mississippi valley, was estab-
lished because of a natural
harbor, while Natchez, Port
Gibson, Vicksburg, and other
towns had origins linked direct
ly to this transportation po-
tential.
Inland Transportation
Water, however, did not prove
the answer to all transportation
problems. Overland routes were
necessary in many areas where
rivers and streams were not
available or were not deep
enough to accommodate boats
Inland colonization grew as
paths were cut through the
wilderness.
From these early overland
trails came such famous roads
as the Natchez Trace. stretching
500 miles from what is now
Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez
1t was used first by workmen
who manned the one-way flat
boats to New Orleans, but later
served traders, settlers, and mail
carriers.
The National Park Service,
which in 1884 recognized the
Natchez Trace as lone of the
Nations most fmaous old roads
is converting it into a modern
scenic parkway.
First Public Roads
The Territorial Government
provided for the building OF
the first man-made roads in
Mississippi in an act of tn {
Legislature approved April IL
1899. Minimum road widths
were fixed at 20 feet. County
supervisors could summon any
male over the age of Is to work
a maximum of ten days a year
on these local roads. Men de.
string not to work were allow
ed to furnish a good hand te
labour in their stead"
In the early 1905, turnpike
and bridge companies built toll
roads and bridges. This medium
of building and financing road.
was continued for more than 81
years. Another means of finan
cling roads was tried which in
volved the holding of a lotter,
with legislative approval,) Will
profits to be applied to construc
ton of a "fine and substantial