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Ed Yates Highway Along NC 194 To Be Unveiled Friday, Dedication Takes Place at Matney Community Center

Ed YatesMay 16, 2013. N.C. Department of Transportation Division 11 Board of Transportation member Jim Palermo will give the keynote remarks for the unveiling of the Ed Yates Highway, a four-mile section of N.C. 194 (Mission Crossing Scenic Byway) from Valle Crucis to the Hade Smith Road intersection in Watauga County.

The dedication will take place at Matney Community Center, located along N.C. 194 South in between Banner Elk and Valle Crucis, on Friday, May 17, at 3 p.m.

This stretch of N.C. 194 is being named for the longtime Watauga County resident whose family has lived in the county since the 1870s. He was involved in building U.S. 321 and other area roads, was a strong advocate for rural electrification and education, and worked with the Federal Housing Administration to make programs available to finance military housing and homes for returning veterans and their families after World War II and the Korean Conflict.

Local officials will be in attendance.

Below is a letter Ralph Yates, the son of Ed, wrote to the Watauga County Board of Commissioners initially requesting the name dedication:

Yates Letter 1

Yates Letter 2