Traer Star-Clipper, July 4, 1919, non-capitalization in original:
“Tama county voted against hard roads Monday by 1,165 majority. Everybody familiar with what was going on knew several days before what the result would be. When the highway commission rejected Toledo’s plea to have the Lincoln highway changed to connect with that city the town went wild. It never showed so much energy in fifty years. It flooded the county with literature in opposition to the good roads program and sent propagandists to nearly every neighborhood. Hundreds did not understand the law, really believed that the Lincoln highway would all be paved first and voted now. Gladbrook, Lincoln, Clutier and Elberon felt they were not getting a fair deal and opposed Traer’s vote was nearly three to one in favor. Grant township went for paved roads. Tama rolled up a tremendous majority in favor, but Toledo largely offset it.”
The Star-Clipper was a big proponent of the Good Roads movement — “It will be a calamity if Tama county votes against the proposition,” the June 20 editorial said — in case you couldn’t tell from the tone above.
Ten years and two weeks later, Tama County approved $300,000 in bonds to pave IA 59, the road that became US 63, following $504,000 in 1926 that went to the Lincoln Highway.