The fury of a highway controversy has swept before it everything of passing note in Winton for the last two or more weeks. Locating a right angle turn in the State Highway has figuratively set some of the County Capital folks on their heads, and has aroused a spirit of antagonism between contending factions almost to the point of personal encounter. However, fist fights have so far been avoided up until tis stage of the battle royal, and from every indication calm is beginning to reign at the county seat.
It seems that it all resulted over a difference of opinion among the town’s leading citizens over the routing of the highway. There were three corners in Winton, potentially State Highway routes. These were the Bank of Winton corner, the John A. Northcott and Jordan Brothers corner, and the John E. Vann residence corner. The State highway will take one of these routes in order to reach the ferry at Chowan river.
The Aulander-Winton state highway comes into Winton’s beautiful Main street on the south end of the town, and goes for several blocks up this street, where it merges with the Murfreesboro-Winton section of the highway. The latter section of the highway continues up Main street, and in order to connect with he much-talked-of and sure-to-be-built Chowan river bridge must turn at one or the other of the three original corners. All of the routes were surveyed by the highway engineers, the first selection being at the Northcott corner.
On account of the narrowness of this cross street, and the necessity of moving several houses in order to build the highway over this route, the engineers recommended that this corner not be used. All was well up to this point. It was when a choice was sought between the other two remaining corners that the Winton people divided sharply, and out of the wrangle have come some red hot and fiery speeches, a petition reinforced by many names, the purchase of a strip of land from Jordan Bros.’ garden, a visit from Commissioner Hart, a deluge of letters to the State Highway authorities, and mass meetings.
When the necessity of a choice between the two corners was apparent to the Highway Commission, the board of town commissioners was asked by the Commission to designate the route, the presumption being that the highway would take the course approved by the board. The commissioners, Troy V. Jenkins, J.R. Jordan, and H.C. Brett, together with Mayor Thad A. Eure, endorsed the Bank of Winton corner.
The highway force, evidently believing it was all settled, began work on this street. But it was abruptly halted before much work had been done. Protests had been filed with the highway authorities, a petition had been sent them asking for the Vann corner and representatives had been to Raleigh to urge Vann’s corner.
Then it was the other side settled down to the business of offsetting the efforts made by the proponents of the Vann corner. The super-climax came last Thursday night with the commissioners in session at their regular meeting place, while a mass meeting was in progress at the courthouse. Commissioner Brett, who is working for the Vann corner, sought to have the town body meet jointly with the citizens at the courthouse, the latter meeting being presided over by attorney John E. Vann, and including several workers for the route via Vann’s corner.
The proposal met with no favor among the town authorities, and it was voted to remain at their headquarters and transact business as usual. The ordinary routine business was dispatched, immediately following which Mr. Henry Taylor called for the thing that started the arguments.
Mayor Thad Eure, sensing what was in the air, quickly called upon a chairman pro tem, and read the petition which had been lodged with the highway authorities and which condemned the selection of the corner at the bank, at the same time asking for a route via Mr. Vann’s home. A letter was also produced which had been written as a protest against the commissioners’ action. The letter and petition had been turned over to the town board by the highway authorities, and Mr. Taylor and others knew it.
Reading into the letter a reflection upon his motives and purposes, Mayor Thad Eure defended the action of the commissioners and himself, and reviewed the propaganda that had since that time sought to undermine what had been officially done in the former town meeting. His talk was the signal for further heated discussions and in quick succession it came forth. Some spoke calmly and reasoned the thing out to suit themselves, while others “walked the dog.” It was by far the warmest session of level-headed men seen in the county seat laws for some time.
Attorneys Jno. E. Vann, W. Dare Boone, and Roswell C. Bridger spoke in behalf of the Vann corner, and Mr. Vann censured the commissioners for refusing to meet with the citizens in the courthouse. Attorney E. Wallace Jones, Mayor Eure and civilian Henry Taylor upheld the other side. Others also edged into the controversy, and arguments almost reached the stage of personal venom.
In the meantime, many of those how had gone to the courthouse began to gather about the meeting place of the commissioners. Some stood in the doors, others crowded in the little room, and still others packed the sidewalks around the meeting place. Both men and women were there to speak up for their choice.
The whole affair, a kind of tempest in a teapot, resulted in nothing. The thing remained in status quo. Now, both sides are claiming a victory.
From the front page of the Hertford County Herald, Ahoskie, N.C., Aug. 24, 1923
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