ROAD REPAIR
There was once a time when the average citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia found himself to be a member of the local “road gang” - charged with keeping the public roads in passable condition.. Potholes, it is understood, were plentiful.
It has not been too many years since the strip of the old Keezletown Road near the town of Weyers Cave where I now live, was cared for on a regular, year-round basis by those families who lived along the historic old road. Originally, those named to the task were those selected for the road work were those physically able who were listed among the areas “titheables” which was fancy, semi-political talk of the early days for any “taxable” persons. Such work was, in a sense, payment of a public debt. Keeping the areas roads and trails open. The term most frequently used was, to be exact, keeping road and trails “passable” and there was great variance in what that condition.
The system work well enough.
The road of the time were in poor condition at their best, in our view, but it was the only means of movement for both people and produce . It was mark of local pride to keep roads in good condition. I remember quite well hearing stories of older residents about days spent working on the road. Many of the families still living along the historic old Keezletown Road near Weyers Cave, in which family members recall their days of working on the roads. They often quarried and hauled rock from several small quarry operations set up for just that purpose, crushed them by mallet, to firm up roadbeds. .Old records indicate the presence of a low, water-troubled spot just south of what is now the town of Weyers Cave. It posed a problem for many years but eventually it was filled in to become stable and dependable.
Earlier, in building the only east-west passageway across the Blue Ridge Mountains, called “Three Chopt Road” from South of Richmond to Staunton, Virgina, instructions were posted requesting those who made use of the “road “ - which we would now call a “trail” maintain the road as they used it. They agreed to re mark the trees along the way which designated it as “Three Chopt Road”- three deft blows of the ax or hatchet to tree trunks along the exact route. Travelers agreed to clear away shrubs and overgrowth which had alter the path across the high mountains.
When we experience road troubles today, we call VDOT and turn all such problems over the those qualified and equipped to make repairs or changes needed. We, far too often, seem to of forget how important our highway system remains concerning the stability and well-being of our nation's millions of citizens.
We often fail to remember that our highways are vital connections linking many elements of our complex society together for mutual benefits. We must maintain our network of road at all costs.
I often think of a particularly bad road my Grandfather met with in his logging days in Michigan. Someone had set up a short stick on which was attached a note reading: ”This road not passable! Not even jackassable!
A.L.M. August 5, 2004 [c546wds]
