People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — Drainage and Good Roads. [ARTICLE]

Drainage and Good Roads.

The Board of Commissioners having decided that the Iroquois ditch should be constructed and the rock removed at Rensselaer, to the depth of at least four feet it is important that steps be taken to make a home market for the rock material. If crushed it would be valuable to make streets, highways and turnpikes. If petitions were presented for free turnpikes for a distance of two miles or more north, south, east and west of the town and petitions to macadamize College street connecting with Washington street at the bridge, Main street to north limit of town; also Van Rensselaer street extending along Grace to east limit it wbuld furnish a good market for the stone. It is the duty of each citizen to get a move on him to secure not only a demand for the rock but to secure its removal as cheaply and quickly as possible. It is estimated that the improvement will require 20,000 yards of solid rock to be removed which, when crushed, will make nearly 50,000 cubic yards of material, sufficient to make fifteen miles of good roads. * *