This well known photo, just a mile from Milford Twp, shows the condition of transportation by automobile following a wet spell in our area. (It was in the summer of 1930 that the Lincoln Highway across Story County was completely paved.) Iowa, and Milford Twp, stayed in the mud because of the alienation of the farmers by the wording in the law of the time that permitted the adjacent landowner to be assessed "a fraction of the cost" for the construction of a pavement past his property. This assessment could be on land that lay as far from the new pavement as a mile. Furthermore, the "fraction of the cost" was an unknown percentage.
After two unsuccessful votes, (1919 & 1922), in 1924 four factors combined to overcome shortcomings in funding. 1) Car registrations increased, (1915- 147,000 & 1925 - 660,000) 2) License fees jumped from a flat fee of $15 to a graduated amount as high as $80. 3) A fuel tax of 3 cents a gallon on gasoline was imposed. 4) The unpopular "fraction of the cost" clause was eliminated.
Another incident, perhaps it could be called a phenomenon of nature, was conceivably the greatest influence on the minds of the voters. During this time, in the fall of 1922, Minnesota played Iowa at the Iowa City football facility in front of a crowded stadium. During the game, a hard rain moved in, covering a large area, and stranded most of the fans in Iowa City. They were stranded and stuck by the muddy roads. This one incident, perhaps more than any other, showed the need in the minds of the public, the voters, and the legislators for better roads in Iowa.
Just as a footnote to this information-- It was in the summer of 1947 that the new markings for "no passing" zones of Highways 30 and 69 were painted across Story County. At the time, the no passing zone, represented by the yellow stripe, was where the yellow stripe was on the right side of the black center stripe.