prior to 1924 the nearest
generating operation was in Alexandria.[177] A group of farmers from
Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, headed by A. S. Harrison, hired an
engineer and travelled throughout the Dranesville District to encourage
farmers to contribute time and money towards an electrical plant.
Eventually they raised enough cash to form a stock company and a power
line was built between Alexandria and Herndon, and subsequently on to
Leesburg.[178] The initiative shown by the Floris farmers was rewarded
by a distinct advantage over non-electrified communities. As late as
1940 over 35% of the county's farms were without electric power. A
survey conducted in that year showed these non-electrified areas to be
the least productive, and most depressed in morale and way of life.[179]

Water and sanitation systems were also difficult to establish despite
concerted efforts by the home demonstration agents. Slightly over 10% of
the county's farm homes contained "complete water systems" in 1932,
though a larger percentage had partial plumbing facilities. Even in
1940, only 19% of the homes in the Dranesville area (and 40% in the
county as a whole) boasted running water. Low as these figures seem,
however, they were the highest in the state. Because good water was
abundant in the area, farmers saw less need to campaign for extended
water mains or sewer lines, in spite of their advantages for health and
convenience. It was not until the population boom of World War II that
really modern utilities were established in the county on a large
scale.[180]

Of greater significance was the effort to better the county's road
system. Southern roads in general--and Virginia's in particular--had
been notorious since their inception for ruts, abrupt endings and,
especially, mud. In 1918 there were only a few miles of surfaced road in
Fairfax County, and any roadbuilding or repairs were made at the
discretion of individual landowners.[181] The inconveniences caused by
the poor roads became legendary. One woman remembered the roads being so
rough that eggs would break on the way to market, and another, Emma
Millard, stated that conditions were bad enough that "you would lose
your boots when you went through so much mud and had to go back and
retrieve the boots."[182] When automobiles became more common on the
county's thoroughfares, they increased the problem of dust, deeply worn
grooves and splashing muddy water. At the same time they pointed