The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-17
ale Sntrlliornttr.
',''ce Eo.. 70 and " fourteenth Street,
"TuE OLD NATIONAL EOAp.n
a Readable Sketch OF that Famous ffisi,
10 D.,Sl nl,

| g TIN OLD NATIONAL ROAD" ~
a Readable Sketch OF that Famous fffsi
why, by II Bciinlre Writer.
Rum G. Faris, IN he American. . 10
Just now there Is general movement
Tor better roads. State Legislatures, d
well MS nelghborhood authorities, hav
discovered that we cannot everywher
use locomotives instead OF horses. Til
commercial reports benr witness tina
bad roads greatly impede the course @
business. Although this country reached
her period OF greatest activity In roa,
making ut tho came time M England
ls?I-33-yet roads nre always OF grad
lial growth, and ours were 80 Young n
the coming OF railroads that they coul,
not stand the neglect into which the,
iell IN presence OF the new and over
Swallowing system. Among the few
that got fair start before railroads over
took them, was tho National road,
aud ali hough 1t 10 not tho grent hisbwa,
ils projectors expected, yet 1t Is still 1
remarkable highway through hundreds
0! miles OF its course, and with Sigh
restorations might well serve rs mode
Tor what we now propose to do. It Is Q
shame that 1t has been neglected III
many places by those to whom Congress
surrendered lis control.
The road reaches from Cumberland,
Maryland, to the Mississippi river above
81. Louis, crossing the western corners oil
Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Vir.
gina 10 Wheeling, and thence going dl.
rtcily across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinoip,
through Xlnesville, Columbus, Spring.
field, indianapolis, and Terre llaute 10
Alton. The plan for this highway was
gradually formed. When Virginia, in
l16l and 1881, surrendered her territory
beyond tho Ohio, she stipulated for Il
road across the Alleghenies; and among
the benefits obtained by the Ohio Com.
pany In the Ordinance OF 1887 establish.
Ing the Northwest Territory, was n con.
lirmation OF the promised road, two per
cent OF the proceeds OF land sales to be
devoted to it. But the road was DELAYED
and the West was uneasy for the govern.
ment was accused OF triiliug Great
Britain about Indian affairs, and
with Spain about tho navigation OF
tho Mississippi. There were grave
doubts expressed as to tho Re-.
public's ability to retain control Of the
territories beyond tho Alleghenies, and
a road then would have played the
part taken by tho Pacific road in later
years. In 1892, when Ohio was admit.
TED to the Union, she urged the building
OF the road upon Congress, and agreed
not to tax lands sold by the government
for five years after the sale, 10 per cent
Of the purchase money to be given. in
to the road. Indiana, admitted in 1916.
and Illinois, in ISIS, both made similar
compacts. Action was delayed by the
pressing matters claiming the govern
ment's attention, Till 1906, when Con-
gress ordered 4 survey OF the road Us far
as the Ohio. In ISL survey part way
across Ohio was ordered. The war of
lSl2 delayed work and in lSlG only sixty
miles were completed beyond Cumber-
land. although such sections, as far as
the Ohio, rs presented the greatest OBJ
stac!es were in tolerab!e shape, and
President Monroe reported to Congress
that the road could be finished
to Wheeling in two years more.
1t had then cost sl92JS4 and
100000 more was required to reach
Wheeling. The survey was next ex-
tended to the Mississippi and reached
Jefferson City. Missouri, in 1927, The
road reached Columbus in 1927, and was
begun at indianapolis in 1880. The
frontier line receded faster than tie road
but the delays we're not alto.
gether time lost; for Macadam's system
OF matchmaking had been proved by
England in the meantime, aud We pro-
fitted by her experiments. The road was
all macadamized, and mostly with lime
stone, which, contrary to Macadam's
fears, did not dissolve, except enough TO
cement itself. n.
From parts Of the road still kept in
good repair, we can form an idea Of it in
its prime. The whole roadway was six
ty itet wide, macaaamized to forty, and
four teams can yet drive abreast over
parts OF it; but fresh stone has for many
years put only twenty feet wide, and
farmers have set out their fences accord
ingly. Neither the prepared ground nor
the broken stone was rolled, but
the bed is now very firm from years of
added stone. In nothing was this road
more Il u luxury to our srandf4thers
than IN its numerous bridges in place OF
tho Troublesome and delay.causing fortis.
The bridges are Of stone, except over
some Of the very largest streams, and
have thirty feet roadways between the
parapets. There are some fine creek
bridges OF two and three arches, and
even very many Of the culverts might
be called bridges. Panels with iuscrip-
tions were placed on the finer bridges;
but, like the mile.stones, they were OF
stoneso soft that the iuscriptions are al
most iileglble. East of the Ohio mile.
stones OF triangular iron pillars show
the greater dignity and importance oil
the earlier road. q T5t
Virginia aud Pennsylvania had early
been rivals as to a roud across tho Allie.
ghenies. Washington, in l75l, march.
ed by way OF Winchester against the
French on the Ohio. Then Fort Cum
berland was bullt, and Braddock march.
ed over the zane route. He%thought
the northern route better, but did not
succeed IN getting Pennsylvania to make
road in time. The closcness with
which the latter highway has followed
tho old army route, is shown by Brad
dock 8 grave, in clump OF ornamental
trees, beside the National road. He was
buried right in the old trail, the wagons
driving over the grave to conceal it from
the Indians. The almost obliteratcd re.
mains OF Wesllingtouls Fort Necessity
are alao within q lew yards ofthe present
road. When General Forbes started on
the final successful expedition against
Fort DuQuesne, Washington cndeav.
ored to have the old route again fol-
lowedi but tho more northerly route was
used, aud Washington had to march
across to Bedford to join the main army.
When the National road, at first called
I,n - l. - !