Our County Roads - Always in the News

Roads have always been a vital part of our county's history and always in the news. As early as the second county court meeting, after Crittenden County was formed from Livingston County in January of 1842, the court preceded to lay the county into Constables' districts. There were six districts laid off.

At the next county court meeting, April 5, 1842, men from the different districts were appointed to begin surveying roads for the new county.

Surveyors Chosen For New Roads

Some of the men that were selected to view and mark the new roads for the county were Arthur Love, Daniel Minner, Calab Minner and Harvey J. Minner, who were appointed commissioners to view and mark out the nearest and best way for a road from the Hurricane Meeting House to intersect the Wallace Ferry Road at A. Walker's.

In the Eastern part of the new county, Edward Kemp, Mannering Towery and Joshua Orr were appointed to view and mark out the nearest and best route for a road commencing at the bridge on Piney Creek and intersecting the road leading to Montezuma at or near Thomas Neal's and report to this court.

Other responsible men were appointed for surveyors with hands to help keep the roads in repair. (Some entries in the County Court Books reads):

William Weldon was appointed surveyor of that part of the public road from Centerville to Ford's Ferry, beginning at the fork of the road at tree No. 2, being prescient No 1, with the following keeping said road in repair, A. H. Yandall, D. Gaines, L. McMillon, W. Brown's hands, W. Smith and hands, Mrs. Stephenson's hands, J. Carrick, H. Jackson, J. Loyd, L. D. Husband, J. W. Cruce and hands.

John R. Clement was appointed Surveyor over that part of the public road leading from his ware house at Clemensburg on the Ohio River to where said road intersects Flynn's old road near Gen. Hughes and that he with the following hands keep same in repair, Joseph Hughes' hands, Matthew Hughes, Benjamin Hughes, James Hughes, William Health, Samuel Heath, Robert Heath, J. C. Beal, John Beal and Joab Beal.

The roads in the area where you lived were to be kept in repair by the males of the families that resided there and used these roads.

Male Citizens to Work Roads

 Pictured is a man using a wooden road drag to try and smooth some of the ruts and potholes from one of the county dirt roadways. 

 In a special Fiscal Court meeting of Jan. 7, 1913, it was ordered that the county roads of Crittenden County be worked by hands to be turned in by the County Road Engineer, or his assistants, and all able bodied male citizens of the county over the age of 18 years and under the age of 50 years, except licensed ministers of the gospel and citizens of incorporated towns and cities, are required to provide themselves with necessary tools and implements and to work on pubic roads of the county, not exceeding two days in a week and six days in each year, provided that any road hand may pay to the county engineer, the sum of three dollars. ($3.00) on or before the 1^st day of June, of any year, and upon payment of said sum, he will thereby be released from work upon the road during the said year.

The County Road Engineer shall immediately pay over said sum so paid to him, to the county treasurer, who shall place same to the credit of road, and same shall be applied and used in the employment of graders, plows, and teams and hands to work upon the roads of the county when needed.

Judge Travis' Vision for Better Roads

In the early part of 1920, the muddy county roads were still in the news, seemed no matter how hard the men worked the roads would become almost impassable in the winter months and rainy spells. 

 Judge E. Jeffrey Travis shared his thoughts and a new idea with the Press:

The weekend brought a good many citizens into town, 'cussin' and discussin' the roads. Bob Gibbs says that the roads in his community would bog a buzzard; Perce Brasher thinks it dangerous to undertake to go anywhere, even to Sunday school, except on foot or in a flying machine; Tom Ed Walker says traveling on his roads is not so bad if it would not give you seasickness, so muddy.

Uncle Dick Cruce and Jeff Clement, the most optimistic of all callers and commentators, blame mostly the unusually wet and freezing weather that we have been having rather than the county road engineer and the overseers for our extremely muddy roads at this particular time.

Judge Travis remarks to the public - It looks now that the Crittenden County roads are past all using. What are we going to do? We all want to know. The sooner we quit throwing our money into mud holes the sooner we will have money with which to build roads that do not get muddy, nor wash away.

You don't like this system: Well, what do you say to having all property owners pay reasonable property tax, say 30 cents for each $100.00 worth of property and each male citizen over twenty-one years, pay a reasonable poll. This would give us a fund of amounting to $25,000.00. With proper equipment and money properly distributed, this would work all our roads as well or better than now and leave us a nice sum to be applied with state aid in building some permanent roads.

This idea for a new way to improve the roads must not have gone over too well, but it would eventually be the only way to get better roads.

Judge Travis had a vision for the betterment of Crittenden County Roads, but it was several years later at a Fiscal Court meeting in August 1927 before the Court decided to fix a special road tax.

Road Tax Implemented

At the regular meeting August 2, 1927, the Fiscal Court voted to call for a special road tax election, the purpose being to change the system of road maintenance. The old plan, now over 75 years old, was based on free labor and is considered not only out-of-day but inadequate.

According to the new plan, which is to be voted on in the special election, a pole tax of $1.00 on each male voter and property tax of 20 cents per hundred is to be assessed for road purposes and the funds thus provided used to pay for the upkeep of the road system in Crittenden County.

Every member of the court was present at the meeting.

In January 1928, under the leadership of Judge L. E. Waddell, a new system of maintaining the roads was decided on by the Fiscal Court. According to the new plan all work on the roads will be done at the order of the fiscal court and the money expended under the old supervisor system would be used in payment of this work.

The Magistrate of each district would be allowed so many road supervisors. Said road supervisors would be appointed by the Court and would report to the Magistrate of his district once every two weeks as to the work he is doing and the expense of such work.

Team work on the roads for the year 1928 shall be $2.00 per day for each team. All road hands are required to work 6 days on the roads or pay the sum of $5.00 which shall be equivalent to such work.

The court voted to place $8,000.00 in a fund to be used in construction of a rock road in any community where the citizens will furnish a like amount. This was to encourage people to use their money for the improvement of permanent roads instead of throwing it in the mud holes that would just keep returning.

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