PREFACE
A Guide to the Preparation of County Road Histories is the tenth publication of the continuing series "Historic Roads of Virginia" issued by the Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council. It is intended to set out in simple, easily understood terms the knowledge gleaned from the research and writing of Albemarle County Roads 1725-1816 and the associated volumes of this series; the sources of information used, as well as other possible sources; the information recording techniques used; certain useful rules of evidence, as well as some of the pitfalls to be avoided; how the analysis of this information proceeded; and, finally, and probably most importantly, an attempted formulation of some minimum standards for an acceptable road history. Although the experience of the more western areas of the United States in setting up their road systems will be found to be somewhat different from that of those with systems deriving directly from English precedent and the basic English road law of 1555, this guide, perhaps with some slight modification in techniques, should have broad general applicability.
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