West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 108 by Charlie Miller

____January 20, 1908 – A resolution passes concerning the Railroad. The elevation of rails at the Little Darby Creek will be 916.5” and a grade of 0.5% through Jefferson. Elevation at the west edge of town will be 940.3”. The tracks shall pass over Walnut, West (Depot St.) Jackson and Main Street are on solid floor bridges supported by concrete abutments and pedestals. Walnut, West, Jackson, and Main Streets shall have clear heading above each street of 14 feet between the highest part of the roadway and the lowest part of the structure.

That part of Pearl Street where it crosses the right of way of said Company, being part of said street bounded by the northerly and southerly line of said right-of-way, shall be abandoned, vacated, and closed and all other streets and alleys except Walnut, West, Jackson, Frey and Main Streets which extend across said right-of-way, shall be abandoned, vacated and closed within the limits of the right-of-way.

____March 23, 1913 – A resolution was passed calling for Main Street to be improved with a foundation of concrete and topped with bricks at a cost of $28,714.00. Bonds will be issued for this purpose.

____September 26, 1913 – An ordinance was passed to lower the grade of Main Street so that the total distance between the road and the bridge was 16 feet. (I’ve seen trucks let the air out of their tires to be able to go through the bridge.)

____December 18, 1913 – A contract was given to W. C. Wooly to lay brick on Main Street from the Mill Road to the Railroad tracks.

____December 18, 1913 – An ordinance for the official naming of certain streets being: Chesnut, Mill Road, Race St., East St., Heath St., Water St., South St., Town St., Pearl St., Fellows Ave., The streets between Silver’s Elevator and Frey lots, from the west line of Frey lots to the right-of-way of the P.C.C.& St. L. R. R., to be known as Silver St. the street between Lot No. 12 and Lot No. 14 in Mortimore’s Addition, is to be known as Madison St. Also the naming of Hampton, Franklin, Hill, and London Streets.

____The Farmer’s Telephone Co. was operating in Jeff in 1913.

____February 16, 1914 – Telephones were installed in Council Chambers.

____F. B. Biggett was the manager of the West Jefferson Home Telephone Company and the Farmers’ Mutual Telephone Company.

____May 20, 1918 – The speed limit in the business district was set at 8 MPH, in the rest of the town it was 15 MPH.