The 1st Macadamized Road in the County
“The grand old town of Alfred, the seat of the first academic institution of the county, as well as its only University, has this year put in a macadamized road from the village to the station, a distance of nearly two miles. This is the first road of the kind in the county.
“Good Roads” is now the watchword, and they are imperatively demanded not only by people who ride in find carriages, or astride the bicycle visit with the speed of winged messengers every part of our county, but by the farmer as well, in order to facilitate the hauling of large and paying loads of produce to the nearest railroad station.
Public attention is aroused and points to better roads, and the best minds of the age are at work on vehicles with electric or other motors; and possibly before this book is delivered to its subscribers an enterprising Allegany carriage maker will introduce one of the horseless carriages upon our roads.
And so it goes! The one continuous mud hole of the pioneers’ day has dried up and disappeared; 1795 has given way to 1895, the modern “Conklin” or “Milburn” wagon has succeeded the drag; the stylish coupe the heavy old linchpin style of lumber wagon; the Portland cutter the oxsled, and the end is not yet!” (Reprinted from: Allegany County & It’s People; J.S.Minard; 1896; W.A. Fergusson & Co.)