From Bernard G. Stamper, Sr.
Creston
The spring and summer of 2015 mark the 79th anniversary of one of the largest construction projects to affect the west part of the city of Creston. The year was 1936 and Hwy. 25 was rerouted north through Creston on Sumner Avenue.
Prior to 1936, Hwy. 25 came into Creston on Hwy. 34 and bifurcated into a separate highway at Laurel Street. From that point, it extended east on New York Avenue. to the corner of Adams and New York Avenue. Then one block west on Adams and then north on Sycamore Street to Townline Road.
Art Ritter had a filling station on the northeast corner of Sycamore and Buckeye. Some of the concrete drives are still there. The station was later moved to the southeast corner of Sumner and Prairie, and was the first business on the new highway.
In 1936, Sumner Avenue extended north from New York Avenue up and over the CB&Q railroad tracks and was a dirt/cinder road ending at Russell Avenue. The street was hard surface from Russell to a point halfway between Adair and Howard. From there it was dirt ending at Summit Street. From Summit north, it was just pasture until Spencer, where it was a dirt street ending at Prairie. From Prairie to Townline it was just pasture.
In 1936, a new underpass and pedestrian tunnel was built under the CB&Q Railroad tracks. A large concrete bridge with pedestrian walkways was constructed over Hurley Creek. The new highway had one north and one south bound lanes with space on both the east and west sides for parking cars. The parking areas extended from Russell to Howard. Many people who didn’t have a garage would park their cars in that area.
In 1976, the highway was rebuilt to four lanes with no more parking along the highway. The bridge over Hurley Creek is no longer there and the curve from Prairie to the corner of Lincoln and Townline is no longer there. Sumner Avenue now goes straight out to Townline Road.