Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-02-22
TIRGLlL1 LEGISLATURE.
REPORT
Of the Committee Of Roads and Internal Ndpf CATION

Of the Committee Of Roads and Internal .Sapf
[coNcLUDED.]
''WAsHiNGroN CITY Dec Dist, 1880
GEo. w. SUMMERS, ESQ.
House Of Delegates Of ga (
Dear Sir: have received your letter. requesting
answer to the following interrogaories, viz:
lst Has the subject OF constructing road from Chi
licothe to Gaiopols Point Pleasant been before
the Legislature of Oho'
I'll. Has there been any survey and examination be-
tween these points, with a view such road; either
under the authority of the State or other authority;
and what has been the result OF such survey and exa
mutation 10 the distance and capital TO con-
s,ruct the road?
81. What is the character of the country betwe en-
Point Pleasant and Chiicoihe its Susceptibility OF cu
tiva'ion. and populauonl
4h. What towns in OHIO lie upon or near the con.
tempated road!
9th, How near would such road approach to the
Ohio and Erie canal; and what point the canal.
9th. How near would such road approach to tie
Cumberland road'
nh. To what proportion of the States of Ohio. Indi.
ana AMI Illinois, would hs line afford shorter route
than The Cumberland road by Wheeling!
And in general terms, you ask point out the
connection between the roai through Ohio, and "A
munication With Virginia by the Kanawha river /
shall not attempt to give you formal and .peciiic an
swers II the foregoing int ga cries; but will endea
Your. in general way, TO embrace them ALL far as
my Information will enable me to comply with your
request BY looking at the map of Ohio you will per-
ceive tha the road IRON the mouth OF the Great Kama
wha TO Portland SanduSky Bay, Zone of the most i'm
For ant points Lake Erie, and of increasing COM
mercal activy divides the State into two almost
parts; and is bsec,ed al Columbus the seat of go
men by the Cumberland Road Taken as one whole this
road passes through many nourishing towns, country
OF great fertility, AMI highly prosperous in it's crcum-
stances At about 80 miles from the mouth OF the
Great KanawDa il enters the valley of the Scota river
and OF is brought into the Immediate vicinity Of
the Ohio and Erie canal. II thence passes about 55
miles u he rich valley Of that river sometimes on the
very margin and always in the neighhourhood of the
canal, TO Columbus, where it the Cumberland
road. as before no iced Twelve miles from the point
of its entrance into the valley OF the Sco,s il r,sses
through the town OF Chcothe. The road dow the
Great Kanawhs through the State of Ohio TO Sandusky
Bay, and thence by Lake Erie Detroit is the course
that nature has clearly pointed the line of inter-
between much the greatest portion of the State
0l Virginia, the State OF Ohio and the territory OF Mi
chigan. From Cbilc0he to Sandusky Bay, the road
Is one OF great travel; and il an easy communca.
ton were opened down the Great Kanawba, and
thence extended into the state OF Ohio, far Chco-
the, II may well be doubted, whether the of
Virginia with Ohio through that channel would not be
equal In importance, if not superior 10 that with Ken
lucky, through the branch OF the turnpike now con-
sirucng TO the confines OF that State Throughout the
entire distance from Sdndusky Bay to Chicobe four
horse stages three times week and over cons-
dorable portion of il they pass daily. From Chicothe
TO the Galiopolis they run twice week; where the
traveller 70 Virginia is arrested in his direct course and
obliged to descend the Ohio river to Guyandoe or as
cend to Wheeling by the still more crculous route Of
tho Cumberland road.
when the navigation Of the Ohio is impeded nv
drought or ice he il wholly arrested in his progress al
that point The traveller from Virginia TO Ohio or be-
yOnd W, mas hnseH IN a like situation al or near
Charleston on the Kanawha. From this view Of The
subject, u must be apparent that the opening of cool
road from Charleston 10 the mouth Of the Great
ia womlI greatly increase the inercourse Lo, 80 T,,i
and Virginia, and thereby add in the same rso 10 the
Importance and income OF the man sem of the Kama
ha Turnpike. Aside from the commercial intercourse
which nature has ordained shall exist between the two
States, some opinion Of the extent OF that which is pure
" social my he 70 IN If, by aIgertng 10 the fact.
That At least from hundred and hy TO two hundred
thousand and perhaps exceeding that number of inn
bitdnts IN Ohio, are natives Of the Common wealth
virginia, or their immediate descent ants That portion
OF me roal trongh Ohio, which lies between the Ohio
river and Chicoihe il the Ieas, improved NJ IN. en-
iire line within the State. The Legislature of that
State, being DESTROYS TO increase the io,ercorse " f
Virginia. aud influenced chiefly, think myself war
rauted IN saying, by conviction that Virginia yvond
extend branch Of the KaDawha Turnpike 10 the mouth
OF that river, two years ago incorporated company for
the purpose OF contracting turnpike from GsiopoI
town on lbe Ohio liver, four miles below Point plsa
SAINT TO Cbicohe, distance ofsixty miles To This an.
dsrtskng, II is expected, the Legislature will lend the