This article appeared in the Chariton Leader dated April 26, 2011, written by Sandra Knebel, Staff Writer
When the new 911 system was put into effect in Lucas County, the Blue Grass Road lost its name and became a number (#235), but never it's significance. This historic county route was registered with the Iowa State Highway Commission on December 1, 1917, as the Blue Grass Road. It started in Burlington and ended in Council Bluffs, a distance of 310 miles. This east/west route was considered of military importance. On Saturday, April 23, 2011, the Bob Sims family, from Russell, gave back to the road its identity as a historic road by erecting four signs along its route.
When the new 911 system was put into effect in Lucas County, the Blue Grass Road lost its name and became a number (#235), but never it's significance. This historic county route was registered with the Iowa State Highway Commission on December 1, 1917, as the Blue Grass Road. It started in Burlington and ended in Council Bluffs, a distance of 310 miles. This east/west route was considered of military importance. On Saturday, April 23, 2011, the Bob Sims family, from Russell, gave back to the road its identity as a historic road by erecting four signs along its route.
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The first sign is located near the dirt road that runs a few hundred yards from the Douglass Pioneer Cemetery on 235th Trail. There is one at the corner of 235th Trail as it turns onto 455th Lane. The third is at 455th Lane as it turns into 270th Avenue. The fourth is by the Baptist Church in Russell on Smith Street.
The signs were a gift to Bob Sims from his sister, Mary Lou Bingaman and his children, Steve, Mike, and Toni. Bob and Mary Lou's grandmother bought a farm on the Blue Grass Road in 1947. She never lived on the farm, but her son, Charlie and his wife, Eulice, did. They were Bob and Mary Lou's parents. Mary Lou bought the farm and lives there in the home she built. Bob and his wife Gwen lived on the farm during their early-married years. Both Steve and Toni were born while their parents lived there. Bob had often mentioned to his family that he would like for everyone to remember the original name of the road. So, for a Christmas present, his family presented him with the four signs that were put in place Saturday between Chariton and Russell marking the "Historic Blue Grass Road."
Bob Sims said that without the help of Mary Ruth Pierschbacher, the surprise of the signs and permission to put them up would never have happened. Mary Ruth guided them through the maize of requests and approvals needed to get the signs in compliance with regulations.
According to the Iowa Department of Transportation website on historic routes in Iowa, the history of the Blue Grass Road began in April 1913 immediately following passage of the 1913 Road Law. The Iowa Blue Grass Road Association submitted a check of $5 to the Iowa State Highway Commission (ISHC) with the objective of protecting their existing route markers and registering their rout.
The goal of the Iowa Blue Grass Road Association was clearly stated -- "an organization for the purpose of maintaining a model dirt road across the state of Iowa thru the heart of the Blue Grass Belt and giving encouragement to the 'Good Roads' cause in general."
As testament to their dedication, Secretary Frank Nimocks wrote to the ISHC stating that they were extremely interested in being the first to officially register their route, having already received "quasi" approval from democratic Senator Charles H. Thomas, also known as the "father of the Blue Grass Road."
Unfortunately, the road association's application was found to be incomplete. The group had failed to trace their route on the county maps provided by the ISHC. Upon receipt of the check, ISHC Chief Engineer Thomas MacDonald sent the organization a blank registration form in hopes of facilitating a quick resolution. That proved not to be the case. After being asked to adequately fulfill the application requirement, correspondence mysteriously ended for the next three years, preventing the association from becoming the first registered route following passage of the 1913 Road Law.
In Sept. 1916, ISHC Chief Clerk F.W. Parrott received a handwritten letter from Indianola resident S.L. Loper. Loper asked for the name and address of the president and secretary of the Iowa Blue Grass Association, along with information about other aspects of the route. Loper was surprised to learn that the route had never registered with the ISHC due to the association's failure "to give the necessary information as to the location of their route" three years earlier. Parrott acknowledged that the ISHC had not had any correspondence with the association for quite sometime.
In November 1917 a series of letters and correspondence rectified years of silence. On November 8, 1917, Senator Thomas furnished maps of the traced route to the ISHC. A week later, Parrott sent Senator Thomas a new application to register the Blue Grass Road with the appropriate signatures. Thomas identified himself as president and James Bryan as the association's secretary. Finally on December 1, 1917, after nearly four years of effort and inconsistent communication, the ISHC met and approved the Blue Grass Road.
The signs were a gift to Bob Sims from his sister, Mary Lou Bingaman and his children, Steve, Mike, and Toni. Bob and Mary Lou's grandmother bought a farm on the Blue Grass Road in 1947. She never lived on the farm, but her son, Charlie and his wife, Eulice, did. They were Bob and Mary Lou's parents. Mary Lou bought the farm and lives there in the home she built. Bob and his wife Gwen lived on the farm during their early-married years. Both Steve and Toni were born while their parents lived there. Bob had often mentioned to his family that he would like for everyone to remember the original name of the road. So, for a Christmas present, his family presented him with the four signs that were put in place Saturday between Chariton and Russell marking the "Historic Blue Grass Road."
Bob Sims said that without the help of Mary Ruth Pierschbacher, the surprise of the signs and permission to put them up would never have happened. Mary Ruth guided them through the maize of requests and approvals needed to get the signs in compliance with regulations.
According to the Iowa Department of Transportation website on historic routes in Iowa, the history of the Blue Grass Road began in April 1913 immediately following passage of the 1913 Road Law. The Iowa Blue Grass Road Association submitted a check of $5 to the Iowa State Highway Commission (ISHC) with the objective of protecting their existing route markers and registering their rout.
The goal of the Iowa Blue Grass Road Association was clearly stated -- "an organization for the purpose of maintaining a model dirt road across the state of Iowa thru the heart of the Blue Grass Belt and giving encouragement to the 'Good Roads' cause in general."
As testament to their dedication, Secretary Frank Nimocks wrote to the ISHC stating that they were extremely interested in being the first to officially register their route, having already received "quasi" approval from democratic Senator Charles H. Thomas, also known as the "father of the Blue Grass Road."
Unfortunately, the road association's application was found to be incomplete. The group had failed to trace their route on the county maps provided by the ISHC. Upon receipt of the check, ISHC Chief Engineer Thomas MacDonald sent the organization a blank registration form in hopes of facilitating a quick resolution. That proved not to be the case. After being asked to adequately fulfill the application requirement, correspondence mysteriously ended for the next three years, preventing the association from becoming the first registered route following passage of the 1913 Road Law.
In Sept. 1916, ISHC Chief Clerk F.W. Parrott received a handwritten letter from Indianola resident S.L. Loper. Loper asked for the name and address of the president and secretary of the Iowa Blue Grass Association, along with information about other aspects of the route. Loper was surprised to learn that the route had never registered with the ISHC due to the association's failure "to give the necessary information as to the location of their route" three years earlier. Parrott acknowledged that the ISHC had not had any correspondence with the association for quite sometime.
In November 1917 a series of letters and correspondence rectified years of silence. On November 8, 1917, Senator Thomas furnished maps of the traced route to the ISHC. A week later, Parrott sent Senator Thomas a new application to register the Blue Grass Road with the appropriate signatures. Thomas identified himself as president and James Bryan as the association's secretary. Finally on December 1, 1917, after nearly four years of effort and inconsistent communication, the ISHC met and approved the Blue Grass Road.
