"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." – Galatians 6:2
Since Randolph County was established in 1832, community members have been coming together and working together. In a 1894 publication by J.M.K. Guinn, the county was described as "the red man's home, the white man's Eden." The fertile ground and pure air were ripe for farmers who found they could live off the land.
Farming trails and roads were quickly established, ensuring farmers could transport their yields and livestock through the diverse terrain of the county.
Today, some of those roadways still exist as dirt roads. But in Randolph County fashion, community members are coming together to improve the quality of life by paving those roads.
Property owners around Randolph County Road 256 began the effort three years ago when resident Patt High placed signs on the road saying, "Fix Our Road." She set up a meeting in her own driveway, and a committee was formed, consisting of High, Jody Bennett, Steve Hensley, Josh Tucker, Beth Yother and Jim Reed.
The committee worked long days, going door-to-door and making phone calls to raise enough money and cut through the red tape to pave the road. It was the first new paved road in the county in 14 years. Now, they have grown to a committee of six working to put private money into public roads.
The total cost of the CR-256 project was $401,500 for one mile of three-layer tar and chip top and one mile of asphalt millings.
Bob Stone and Benjie Cole were eventually recruited. Cole, who was recently elected president, said private donations were made because it was something property owners desperately wanted.
"I know it's been a hope or a wish for our community for years and years and years, and it just was not happening," Cole said. "It's been a project that will greatly benefit our community and the families on County Road 256 for many, many, many years to come."
Stone, who has been an integral part of the effort, said he is pleased to see the hard work paying off. He said when he bought his cabin on CR-256 in 1995, he was told the road would soon be paved, but it never was. Stone said the cutting through the "red tape" was difficult, and that's why it took three years to pave the road. The group had to work through county and state regulations and specs.
"I mean, it has been one roadblock after another," said Stone. "We finally got down to almost how many sprigs of grass were going to be planted on the roadsides. It was ridiculous."
Through all of the struggles, Stone was fighting his own battle. He was diagnosed with cancer. Once again, the people of Randolph County came together.
"I really turned the project over to Patt and my next-door neighbor, and they are the ones who really pushed it through," Stone said.
The final cost of the project was significantly more than the original estimates the committee received. Stone said that was primarily due to regulations from the county.
Randolph County District 2 Commissioner Larry Roberts worked with the group.
He said that across the county, there are roughly 600 miles of county-maintained unpaved roads, not including private roads. This is the first time he has ever seen citizens come together to make a change.
"This is the first one in Randolph County, and I don't know of any others," Roberts said. "I'm sure that may have happened in other counties, but I don't know of any other county that has partnered with the property owners to build a road."
However, Roberts said the county's budget for roadways is slim.
"There's just not enough revenue in the budget for rural roads because of the way the property of the gasoline taxes are arranged," Roberts explained. "So, most of the gasoline taxes are used to just maintain and clean out ditches, replace pipes."
Roberts called out the county engineer to help outline the process and see how the county could assist.
"There's so many regulations when you're doing things to a county-maintained road that you've got to meet all the state requirements," Roberts added. "They had to have it surveyed. They had to get an engineering group involved. They had to get the compaction to a good compacted level to even be able to put down the sub-base."
Roberts said he gives a lot of credit to the county engineer, Justin Rush, who ensured the project was staying up to code. However, he said it was the residents-turned-experts who refused to give up.
Although the road to completion was long, the committee members were finally able to pave the road.
The new committee is made up of Cole, Kevin Campbell, Ruby Bailey, Mark Rakestraw, Bart Stone and Sue Wakefield.
Cole said the group is now focusing on paving surrounding roads and maintaining CR-256, along with the Randolph County Commission. He said there is a possibility the committee will establish a road fund to help with maintenance, but the group wants to be good stewards of the funds raised.
Bob Stone said, looking back, that he is thankful for the community. He said the moral of the story is to never give up.
"By the time this thing was over, I think a lot of people had made really good acquaintances and friends, and we have become together as a community."
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