Early Roads

Township Roads

1st governmental entity in county to be responsible for roads
Appointed an overseer
Budgets included funds for purchasing scrapers, later maintainers, and hiring someone to maintain the roads.
Men living in the township constructed the early roads
Later contracted out to the county
    Now only a few miles in about 3 townships that are not maintained by the county.

Poll Taxes

Form of taxation, a head tax of a set amount per person, usually for a specific purpose
    Jewish law – ½ shekel for upkeep of temple in Jerusalem
    Roman period – purpose of census to update tax lists – form of taxation in provinces
        (Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem)
    European countries 1200s – 1700’s – finance wars
    United States – 1800s to present – local government tax – pay before voting
        Used in south to prevent blacks and poor whites from voting
Method of taxing those who did not own property
Paid along with property & personal property taxes

Buffalo County poll tax – $3.00
    Collected by the county or incorporated cities/towns/villages
    Used for street and road repair and maintenance
        Could be worked off
    Rate change – June 1907 –
        Township rate reduced to $2.50 payable in cash when personal property taxes were paid
        Incorporated areas remained at $3.00 and could still be worked off

Exemptions
    1889 – Nebr. Legislature exempted pensioners (veterans of Civil War)
    1890 – Kearney exempted any man who had been a volunteer fireman 5 years
            Later changed to include any volunteer fireman
    Men 50 and older

Practice of working it off phased out by 1927

Types of Roads

earth, sand, clay, gravel, macadam

wood block pavements in St. Paul/Minneapolis, sawdust in Minnesota near a sawmill

Early Cross Country Routes

Four routes in 1912
At least one went north of us

Sunset Trail said to be the best but not so good in the summer because of the heat and barren plains

Shortest was the Platte Valley Transcontinental route.
        Logical one being the shortest and had the most people living along it.
        Just one 200 mile stretch between Rawlins and Granger, WY

             Had only railway stations so there was no one to work the roads.
        Suggested that Acts of legislature would have to be passed for care of stretches like that.

Lincoln Highway

Established in summer 1913 – [Lincoln Highway Assoc. national convention will be held in Kearney to celebrate the centennial next summer]

Seeding Mile constructed that fall

Dec. article about the condition of roads along the Lincoln Highway route – Roads are dirt, gravel, sand, and macadam.    

        No stone roads. [Seedling Miles not mentioned]

Kearney in the Gibbon to Lexington district, a distance of 43.1 miles, all dirt.

Kearney Commercial Club led in promoting better roads.

            (Predecessor to Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce)

    Promoted good roads into Kearney to make easy access for customers

    Held Good Roads Fairs
 

Ending Story

Hub – March 2, 1911

Article describing bills introduced in the state legislature –

Riha of Douglas introduced an anti-hatpin bill….The measure provides that no pins shall be worn without a muzzle unless less than seven inches in length.