The Time Capsule: Driving the Blue Grass Road, revisited

 The column on Huebinger’s book and map of the Blue Grass Road prompted a number of comments, plus a letter from Marvin Carlson, a long-time subscriber. Marvin writes that he has a copy of “Scarborough’s Road Maps” from the early 1900s, which gives detailed instructions on 669 ways to cross Iowa.  

Scarborough shows the “Blue Grass Road” route from the west to Red Oak and on to Corning, along with helpful tips and words of caution. It was not an easy road to follow, and a perusal of either book (the maps of the Blue Grass, from what I’ve seen, are nearly identical in both) makes it apparent why marking telephone poles was of great assistance to motorists.  

A trip through (or beginning in) Red Oak has the courthouse as a landmark. Those making the journey were instructed to go from the courthouse “south for two blocks on 2nd Street (brick pavement), then left onto Washington for six blocks, south onto 8th, leaving bricks, go two blocks, then left, cross iron bridge, bend left, leaving town.  Good dirt road.  Turn right under viaduct, bend left, then right, then left, GIVE WARNING SIGNAL. Crossroad, continue east, bend right, then left, road ends. Turn right, then left, go to iron bridge between two hills, school on right, down hill, bend right and up hill. . . .  ” and so on.  

This takes us to about the halfway point between Red Oak and Stanton, where we’re ready to pull over for coffee. Ahead lies “a very dangerous tunnel, especially in wet weather.”     

If we survived the dangerous tunnel and were successful in negotiating some risky railroad crossings and sharp corners, sounding warnings in the appropriate locations, Villisca awaited with services and hospitality. After a rugged, dusty trip from wherever we started, we’d probably have need for one of the two repair garages and, while our tires were being vulcanized, perhaps a bit of refreshment at the town pump.  

“We?” Did I say “we?” All right, why not? The Register has their “Great Annual Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.” How about an “Equally Great Blue Grass Road Trek Across Montgomery County?” We would call it EGBRTAMC, pronounced “Egbugatamac.”    Emerson would be the starting point, a sandwich in Red Oak, dessert in Stanton while stragglers caught up, then set out for a gala welcome as we roll triumphantly into Villisca and fill our overheated radiators from the Nodaway. 

The distance, according to Huebinger’s map of the Blue Grass Road, is 27.5 miles.  This is marathon distance, so we could invite joggers.   

Gentlemen could tune up their old cars, ladies don their driving apparel, Bill Zenor probably remembers how these things are done, and the crusty cops of our local “Fuzz That Was” club would feel right at home busting any driver who failed to give the proper warning signals.     

I suppose for the paper to have any part of this would be out of the question—there’d be liability issues, for one thing—but it sounds like fun and I wonder if there’s an old car club or some other adventuresome group with an interest.  If I hear from one, I’ll let you know.  

Roy Marshall is a local historian and columnist for the Red Oak Express. He can be contacted at news@redoakexpress.com.