What was an "improved road"
 

Though this isn't directly related to "A"s I feel it is automotive history.

On a 1903 map from my town I found the road we lived on is listed as an "improved road".

Did that mean compacted stone? Concrete?

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

anything better than mud and rutts. it was probably graded and treated to withstand more traffic or better uphold heavy winters.

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

Trace, trail, path, lane, road, improved road, macadam road, boulevard, highway, parkway, freeway. Did I miss any?

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I always thought it meant that any kind of work/labor was involved.. It could be graded[ A friend has a horse drawn grader with an 1880 date on it], stoned, brick or even corduroy ..

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

I am sure that in 1903 an "improved" road referred to a macadam road or similar. A macadam at that time consisted of graded, broken rock placed in layers to properly drain moisture and distribute the load from the carriage wheels (horseless or otherwise). The surface was typically compacted and smoothed with a roller or by just traffice in some cases. These rock surfaces were very durable with the slow moving vehicles of that time and were a far cry better than the often muddy roads. There were several macadam roads in the late 1800s like the Cumberland Road. Tar or asphalt was not generally used as a binder until the 1920s. As vehicles drove faster they would kick up a lot of dust from the macadam roads and create pot holes so the tar and asphalt binder allowed for faster moving traffic without destroying the road surface. Hope this helps. I think it is interesting to see what our grandparents etc. drove on. Mine drove their Model T touring from Iowa to California in the early 1920s probably on a lot of mud and dirt roads, but some macadam roads or other improved roads.

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

29fordguy, that was a good explanation, Thanks.

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

In the world of civil engineering, the term "Street Improvement Plans" is still used to describe those plans that show a plan view of the road, indicating the geometrics of the layout and grades, and then a section through the road, both transversly and longitudinally, indicating underground utilities, etc.

An "Improved Road" can mean anything better than two wagon wheel paths on a cleared space. Macadam (asphalt), conrete, brick, cobbles, anything better than plain dirt.

Richard

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

a macadam road

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

In New Zeland rock roads are (were) refered to as Metal roads -- go figure

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

I would think an "improved road" in 1903 was concrete and only a few miles out of town. Most likely the work of lobbying by bicycle owners, they were the first ones to get the improved road building system started. Bob http://connecticuthistory.org/the-le...to-good-roads/

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

In our local paper, there is a past news column 25, 50, and 100 years ago in every days paper. I read one from 100 years ago briefly describing the new found use of used motor oil applied to the dirt roads thru town center to keep the dust down. :0

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

how about a washboard road?

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

Washboard roads ?? Take a quick trip into northern Canada..
Used motor oil ?? Its what we put on the rear lot for years,, for 50 anyway.. The front new and used lots were black top..
Speaking of motor oil.. One of the local beaches has been closed for the remainder of the season due to some strange black goopy substance washing onto the shoreline.. I went to look at and mentioned it sure looked to me like crude oil.. They thought I was nutz.. They just found out it was motor oil from the 20s/30s that was put into drums and dumped in the lake..

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

Well, What was the AL-CAN highway when it was built? When I learned about in school in the 50's I thought it was a super highway. I was kinda surprised about 30 years ago when I found out it was not much better that a trail.

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

The LONG ISLAND MOTOR PARKWAY, a forty-three mile long, limited access, paved road completed in 1908, paid for PERSONALLY by William K Vanderbilt and operating as a toll road, $1 for the forty + miles. It had sedimentary stones contained in the two lanes of TAR, with certain curves BANKED, and barriers placed where needed. This highway had SIXTY-FIVE BRIDGES, thus eliminating intersections. It extended westward in 1920 from mid-Queens to near Queens Blvd, so autos could easily access it from the Queensboro Bridge, completed in 1909. This parkway ended about fifty miles east of Manhattan at Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island, NY, where Vanderbilt constructed a restaurant/catering hall/ hotel as a terminus for hhis highway. Much of the Parkway is now Suffolk County Road 67, VANDERBILT HIGHWAY, while other portions are abandoned, leaving bridges in backyards and in parking lots and such.

The Motor Parkway is considered the FIRST, LIMITED ACCESS highway built for autos.

Most of NYC was paved, either with cobblestones or, later macadam, a TAR item, though there were also many unpaved roads.

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

Great info Bruce! If you want to read more you can spend some time on this site. Bob http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/

Re: What was an "improved road"
 

And we can not forget the plank road that crossed the Algadones sand dunes in southern California. My dad told me of travelling across that in the 20's before the paved road was built later that decade. We have come a long way in building roads for our wheels!