Scope and Contents:
The petitioners began by describing the deteriorating conditions of the roads “from Naples to the Bluffs,” due to the allocation of financial resources to the construction of the railroads. With the completion of the railroad, the petitioners sought the county to service three roads: the main wagon road, a road leading from Naples to Exeter, and another from Naples to Bethel. The repairs requested totaled to approximately $700. The petitioners noted that the county had appropriated $300 previously to the repair of the Clear Lake Bridge.
Biographical/Historical Context:
Scott County was formally organized on February 16, 1839, with a population of nearly 8,000 by 1850. Once the construction of railroads began in the 1830s, the people in the area noticed that politicians and lawmakers were ignoring the upkeep of the main road, which had poor transportation conditions.
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