A Bit of History - Yadkin County
It is raining here tonight, so Heidi and I decided to stay in. She’s watching football and I am cleaning out some old books and school papers. While cleaning, I came across a book from my late Aunt Brice. Published in 1965, it is called “The History of Yadkin County.” (This is where I grew up.)
The book covers the history of different churches and communities in the county. It even tells what was happening in the county during various time periods like the Civil War, etc.
In one section, entitled “Roads, Bridges and Ferries,” the book outlines when various roads were erected and how they were maintained.
“One of the unusual duties of citizens of the county up until around World War I was that the roads in the various communities were worked by home talent, with every able-bodied man of 18 up giving six days each year on this work. He went when the overseer summoned him to duty. There was an overseer for every section of road amounting to two miles. The only way a man could get out of this duty was to be exempted by the Board of County Commissioners.”
The book later goes into the first paved roads and motorized vehicles.
“In its issue of March 31, 1909, The Yadkin Ripple reported there was not a single automobile in Yadkin County, but that some were passing through. The first automobile was later owned by Dr. J.H. Martin in East Ben, and a short time later John Henry Mackie of Yadkinville acquired one.”
“A state law of 1909 read: ‘Upon approaching a horse or horse or other draft animals, being ridden, led or driven thereon, a person operating a motor vehicle shall slow down to a speed not exceeding eight miles an hour and give reasonable warning of its approach and use every reasonable precaution to insure the safety of such persons or animal. When requested, or on signal from a person riding, leading or driving a horse or horses, the operator of the motor vehicle shall guide it to the right of the travelled portion of the highway and immediately bring such motor vehicle to a stop.’”
