Cook County Department of Highways

Page 89

COOK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS
325 Court House, Chicago

George A. Quinlan	Superintendent	Bartley Burg
B.D. Barker	Assistant Chief Engineer	Joseph M. Fitzpatrick
R.P.V. Marquartdsen	Bridge Engineer	Thomas Kasperski
Peter Reinberg	President County Board Road and Bridge Committee	George A. Miller
William Busse	Chairman	William D. Scot

The Township fees, approximately 26 square miles in area, has about 44 miles of highways outside of the village limits. Labor in making township highways is under the direct control of Township Highway Commissioners - Messrs. Landeck, Reusch, Whittington.

In addition, there are also three roads in this township that have been designated for improvement for State Aid, namely, the Gross Point Road, the Telegraph Road, and the Milwaukee Avenue Road. Part of the Milwaukee Avenue Road lies between the Village of Niles and the City of Chicago, and contract has been let and work is under way for paving. The pavement is to be concrete, and the expense of this work is to be borne by the State, County, and Village of Niles.

During the past two years the Township of Niles has had constructed two large bridges, known as the Burg and Scott bridges. The Burg bridge is located on the highway known as Oakton Street, and was built by the Board of County Commissioners at a cost of approximately $7,900. The Scott bridge, which is on the highway known as Dempster Street, in the Village of Morton Grove, was constructed at a cost of approximately $11,500. This was paid jointly by the Township of Niles, the Village of Morton Grove, and the County Commissioners.

Hon. George A. Quinlan is Superintendent of the County Department of Highways, his slogan is “Good Roads,” knowing that they are a good investment and that they are absolutely necessary to the development of every community.

He is superintending, personally, much road construction. Is busy materializing the dreams of the past, in good roads. The increase of automobiles in every part of the country has made road improvement imperative. The office of the Cook County Department of Highways is the centralized location of this progress.

This organized highway work is of incalculable value to horse drawn traffic, and a decided blessing to the truck farmers in this section. Some conception of the immensity of farm production, and the consequent movement of farm products over country roads, can be gained from the Department of Agriculture, or the Cook County Truck Gardeners’ and Farmers’ Association, of which George Steil is the Secretary.

The interest of not only the State but of neighboring ones are focussed upon what these men are accomplishing for Illinois. The residents are appreciative of the work done under the Homer Tice Law, and are glad of the improvement of the highways connecting them with Chicago.

A one hundred mile inspection by the Cook County Commissioners, over State Aid Roads, in the. County, was recently made. At several points along the route they were met by citizens, who had much praise for them. Obsolete methods are .discarded, and only up-to-date ideas used.

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