THOSE AWFUL GRAVEL TRUCKS!

       During the President Eisenhower years (1952-1960) the Federal  Interstate Highway System was started. Interstate 80 through Iowa was being built during that time and the source of much of the rock and gravel that was used came from the quarry near Ferguson, Iowa. 

      The direct line from the quarry to I-80 (Kellogg- Newton was right by our house. I don't recall how long it took to complete the stretch from say Grinnell to Newton, but, I do know that for some time gravel trucks went by our house day and night with dust flying. We did usually get a break on the week-ends. 

      My poor mother never could keep up with dusting our house and she was obsessive about it in the first place. And, we were always grateful when the wind blew from the west and then it would be the Paul's problem,  the people who lived across the road. 

        I swore I would never live on a gravel road the rest of my life and I never have.Besides, it was always difficult to live one mile from a paved highway(14) so you could carefully dust off your car with a damp towel once you got to the pavement. Couldn't go around with your cool 57' Chevy all dusty. Well, could you?