Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 3, Number 6, DeMotte, Jasper County, 22 June 1933 — ROUTE 41 CLOSED TO AUTO TRAFFIC [ARTICLE]

ROUTE 41 CLOSED TO AUTO TRAFFIC

The closing of Highway 41 between St. John and Cook, while repairs are being made on a sink hole between these two places is bringing hundreds of auto tourists over the detour which runs through Crown Point. All traffic on one of the world’s busiest thorofares is being sent from St. John to Crown Point and on to Cedar Lake and from there to Cook. Auto licenses from almost every state in the union are seen on the streets daily, although those from southern states predominate. At night the truck traffic begins and all night long heavy trucks lumber through the city. Not all of the traffic goes through Crown Point as a portion is routed over a gravel road that runs north from Lincoln School near the Einsele golf course to a point east of St. John, but the heavy truck traffic over this route has torn up this road and made it unsafe. Many of the tourists who pass through Crown Point change to Route 53 here. Reports from the Highway department say that the road will be closed about ten days before the repairs are completed. Every effort has been made by the State Highway department to mark the detour plainly, but in spite of this dozens of tourists coming from the south fail to see the turns marked at Joliet and Court Sreets and drive past it, only to become confused and travel around the square until they encounter someone who can give them accurate directions. The construction of a new bridge across the Kankakee river south of Schneider, the contract for which was let on Friday to the firm of Haines & Haines of Dowagiac, Michigan, will neccessitate another closing of Route 41 for an indefinite time, unless a temporary bridge is constructed. This may further increase the traffic over Route 53 and make Crown Point the hosts to a greater throng of visitors during the summer. The Lake County Old Settlers and Historical Society will meet with the Hammond Old Settlers and help them celebrate their 50th anniversary. This will be the 58th annual meeting of the County organization, and all old settlers are invited to attend. This picnic will begin at 10:30 in the morning of June 27th, at Wicker Park and it is hoped that everyone will bring their basket lunch and have a real old fashioned picnic dinner together. Music will be furnished by an old time fiddler and accordian player.