The Randolph Society Foundation Board is pleased to announce that the members of Randolph County’s Burlington Way Committee, pioneers in the field of automobile travel, will be inducted into the 2025 class of honorees.
At the turn of the 20th century, Randolph County’s citizens relied solely on horses, wagons and trains for transportation along the county’s dirt and rock roads. But by 1901, automobiles began appearing on the streets of local towns. The first automobile dealership in the county was opened by the Herschbach Bros. of Chester in 1908, and buyers flocked to purchase the exciting new machines. Farmers, doctors and mail carriers in particular found early reasons to buy automobiles, and town and county officials soon saw the need to adapt both laws and infrastructure to accommodate the new mode of travel.
For more on the Burlington Way Committee, please see this week’s print edition.