"How old are Chariton's brick streets?" someone asked the other day. And my response was, "It all depends ...."
Installation of brick streets began during August of 1903 and continued for many years --- until concrete became the preferred material for new paving. Old brick streets then disappeared gradually under layers of asphalt.
Today, there's very little brick visible --- a block of South Main, a connecting block of Armory and part of the Commercial Avenue diagonal. But under the asphalt elsewhere, thousands of bricks remain and reappear now and then when streets are resurfaced.
Until August of 1903, every street in Chariton was dirt --- when it was dry --- and mud when it wasn't. That generally was considered to be the shame of an otherwise progressive small city.
After years of fussing, fuming and postponing, City Council finally approved during the spring of 1903 the city's first paving project --- a street-width stretch of brick all around the square, two blocks of brick paving on North Main from the square to its intersection with Auburn Avenue and a block and a quarter of pavers west on Auburn to the railroad tracks.
Before authorizing the project, the city obtained a commitment from Lucas County Supervisors to spend $5,000 to expand the paving around the square --- widening the city-financed bricked surface as far inward toward the courthouse as $5,000 would take it. The gap between new brick and the old courthouse grounds was filled by extending the grounds. The city also obtained a pledge from the C.B.&Q. Railroad to build a brick walkway from the depot south to Auburn and then east to the railroad tracks, improving what had been a cinder path.
Chariton finally was rising from the mud. The top image here of a paving crew at work on the west side of the square was taken during the fall of 1903. The image immediately above dates from 2013, when a fresh coat of asphalt was applied to North Grand Street after the old had been ground away, exposing brick.
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Five three-part bids for the project were opened on Monday, July 13, 1903, and the contract for all three phases --- grading, curbing and paving --- went to the lowest bidder, Chariton's G.J. Stewart & Co.
Stewart had bid 33 cents per cubic yard for grading (a 12-inch excavation with all dirt not needed for leveling removed), 61 cents per linear foot for Bedford stone curbing, and $1.84 per square yard for paving --- a layer of concrete and broken stone, well rolled, topped by Purington paving bricks (manufactured in Galesburg, Illinois) laid on their sides.
It was estimated that there were about 20,100 square yards to pave and about 6,000 feet of curbing to lay for a total cost of approximately $40,000.
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Work on the project began on Monday, Aug. 3, with D. A. Enslow as general superintendent. The honor of moving the first shovelful of dirt went to William Baxter, in charge of grading.
Here's how The Herald of Aug.6 reported the story:
Stewart & Co. began work in earnest on the street paving last Monday morning, with a force of 40 men and a number of teams. The first strip to be paved will be from McKlveen & Eikenberry's lumber yard (currently the site of Autumn Park apartments) to the railroad. Stewart & Co. also expect to pave on the west side of their lumber shed.
D.A. Enslow is in charge of the work, and is busier than a hen with a brood of chickens.
There is already a little trouble over the wage question among the members of the Laborers' Union. Stewart & Co. are paying $1.50 a day, but the Union men want $1.75, and have quit work because Stewart & Co. said they could not pay it. A meeting of the Union will be held tonight to decide the matter. Stewart & Co. say that $1.50 is good pay for ordinary unskilled shovel work, and they they can get plenty of laborers at that price. It is hoped that the matter will be settled satisfactorily to all concerned.
After the Auburn avenue strip is paved, the square will probably be tackled, so that it will be completed in time for the busy fall season with the merchants.
It is so good a sight to see the paving actually under way that the workmen have a good-sized audience constantly on hand. The work has progressed far enough so that there is no longer any danger of it being only a dream. And after this year's paving contract is completed, other streets will be paved rapidly until the city is what it should be in that respect.
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