The Cheap Alternative to Pavement
A visionary proposes using straw to harden dusty, alkali-laden country roads for wheat transport.
Mr. C.H. Whitney, in an address before the National Good Roads Association at Portland, advocates the application of straw to roads where alkali soil or volcanic ash is present. The straw mixed with soil acts like hair in mortar, creating a firm surface and preventing dust. He estimates the cost at $90 per mile for three applications, compared to $3,000 to $5,000 for macadamized roads. A well-strawed road allows two horses to haul as much as four horses through dust, significantly easing the transport of grain to the railroad.
“I have seen wagons sink hub deep in the dust and require a traction engine to pull them out.”
Before asphalt became ubiquitous, rural communities faced the constant battle of 'dust holes' and impassable roads. Whitney’s proposal represents the desperate ingenuity required to move crops in the early 20th century before federal road funding arrived.
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