Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Good Roads 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 14, 2006, 5:03 am Book Title: History Of Imperial County California GOOD ROADS It would indeed be very difficult to find a more vital factor in the development and progress of any country anywhere on the face of the earth than good roads. And yet it is only within comparatively recent years that this great republic of ours gave any public recognition of this fact. We could talk and write glibly of the famous ancient Roman roads that were built in the most permanent and enduring manner, which challenged universal admiration the world over. But here in this new country, under this broader and more modern civilization, we were content to leave our public highways in the most deplorable condition, allowing Dame Nature to have full sway. This, of course, made the roads practically impassable at certain seasons of the year unless the track chanced to be over a rocky foundation and impervious to water. The matter of any systematic road improvement was utterly ignored, and such temporary repairs as were made at odd intervals when the farmers had nothing else to do were hopelessly ineffective because of the faulty methods employed and the slipshod manner in which they were carried out. Even when the matter began to receive some little attention, as the result of certain laws requiring some annual repairs on the public roads in certain States, the system used in complying with these provisions was of the most defective and pernicious character, often doing more harm than good. The history of road working in those days would now seem almost incredible and incomprehensive in the light of the present absorbing interest that is now shown in the construction and repair of all public highways throughout the country. All this must be credited, first to the advent of the bicycle, and next to the auto cars. If these various inventions and devices had done nothing else for the people their value would have been inestimable. Here in this state of California and throughout the West, perhaps, modern road improvement began in advance of many of the older states in the East, that were slow to realize the importance of the matter as affecting every economic interest which could be named, being loath to incur the needed expense. Here in this reclaimed valley some attention has been given to the public roads. And yet it is entirely safe to say, though without definite information on the subject however, that there is still much need of more permanent road construction and more effective repairs all through the Valley. The natural conditions in most sections of this new county are such that the maintenance of roads, if properly constructed, should be easy and comparatively inexpensive, there being very slight rainfall and no frost. And yet it is a question whether it is not wise to build more permanently than trust to the ordinary dirt roadway, where the traffic is at all heavy. Some variety of concrete or bituminous materials seems in every way desirable in such cases. And yet it is claimed here that eighty per cent of the taxable property of this new county is owned by non-residents, who really pay inadequate taxes, which leaves an unjust share of this cost of road improvement upon resident owners and tenants. But there must be some way to remedy this evil, and the county officials will doubtless find it. In any event there should be nothing in the way of better roads in this favored land, where the control of water is so completely in the hands of the people. For, after all, the vital point in all road repairs is to keep off the water. Having good drainage and a hard surface, the battle is won. The completion of the new State concrete highway from El Centro to the mountain range which fringes the western edge of the Valley, last summer, was a most desirable improvement. This is a sixteen-foot pavement thirty-eight miles long, and includes a single span reinforced concrete bridge across Meyer's Canon that cost $40,000. In order to complete this main roadway system it is now proposed to extend it from Niland to Calexico, and from El Centro to Holtville. For this purpose a bond issue of $225,000 is asked for. The Imperial County Supervisors have promised to raise $161,000 as their share of the expense in connecting the Valley with Los Angeles by a paved highway, south of the Salton Sea, from Brawley to Coachella Valley and Banning. This will be a valuable link in the road system of Southern California, and afford easy access to the great market place of Los Angeles. It will thus appear that the new county proposes to keep abreast of the times in the work of road improvement. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY CALIFORNIA EDITED BY F. C. FARR IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED Published by ELMS AND FRANKS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/history/1918/historyo/goodroad220nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb