A “white way”, was an obsession for years of W. A. Adair, President of the The Marshall Messenger newspaper, which launched a media blitz in 1916 culminating in August and September of that year. Those two months, on an almost daily basis, he used every resource at the disposal of his newspaper, trying to convince the merchants and citizens of Marshall of the need to have street lamps installed from the depot to the courthouse on N. Washington street in front of every business.
Trying to “inspire” his readers to join him, he featured “experts” from all over the country and influential people, and distinguished organizations, from far and wide, touting the idea. He used every argument he could to press his case, including safety, profit, shame, pride, guilt, redemption, and fear, with no success. His last parting shot in the March 17, 1917 newspaper was an almost pitiful plea, “The lights [across the Bolivar street] viaduct, together with the white way [from courthouse to depot], would create a valuable impression on the people who travel at night…”
Fast-Forward three years to September 4, 1919; one month after the Marshall Rotary club was chartered, and they took up this cause as their first “Community Service” project. The headlines read: “Rotarians Hustling On The Matter of Light”. In less than three months the white way was a reality. W. A. Adair finally got his white way, but, a competing newspaper’s (The Marshall Morning Messenger) editor Homer M. Price and its business manager Bryan Blaylock, had become a part of the story now. Homer and Bryan, as members of the new Marshall Rotary club became an active and vital part of a three-month, in-your-face, door-to-door, “ROTARY BLITZ”, which finally brought the “White Way” to Marshall. What a beautiful difference it made.