Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-12-01
OLD GOVERNMENT ROADS.
An Extensive System of Highways Bui
When tho Nation UoS Vo,n~

An Extensive System of Highways Built
When the Nation Was Young.
The first impetus given to the building
of good roads iii the United States was
when congress, under the powers of the
new constitution, proceeded to establish
postoKces and build postroads for the
conveyance of the mails. This connect
ed for the first time every town in the
whole Is states by established routes of
communication.
| AS fast as new states were admitted
into the Union the federal government
stipulated with them for the making of
good substantial highways, connecting
their chief cities and towns with each
other and with the rest of the Union.
Two per cent of the proceeds of the
sales Of their public lands was set aside
for this purpose. From time to time
congress also made large appropriations
to assist this work.
The first turnpike road from Balti-
more to Wheeling, 10 miles in length,
was laid out in this way. A similar road
from Washington to Cumberland, $50
miles long, was also constructed about
the same time. The Cumberland road
was carried 135 miles farther, to the east
bank Of the Ohio river, through the states
OF Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Then it was extended westward so miles
to GAINESVILLE and thence through the
states Of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois to ST.
| Louis. This colossal chain of public
highways cost the government upward
OF $3,500,0O0 to construct. It is known
| in history as the Cumberland road sys-
tenn, and the effect it had upon travel
and transportation was enormous Be
| fore it was built it took eight days to
travel from Baltimore to Virginia. After
it was finished the journey was made in
| three days.
Many other chains Of highways were
| constructed under the supervision of the
war department., almost every state in
the Union sharing to some extent in
this policy of internal Improvement.
Under General Jackson a stop was put
to the expenditure of money by the gen
eral government for bodybuilding pur-
poses, but up to that time it had already
spent over $50, 900, 900 in creating and de-
veloping state highways and canals.
1t is interesting to look back at the
roadmaking of our great-grandfathers
In the older states many hundreds of
miles of plank roads were built at cost
of 1880 per mile. Gravel roads were
also built very extensively along the
banks of rivers. One Of the best types
of the earlier roads built in this country
was the charcoal road.
This style Of road was generally laid
through marshy forests. Timber was
cut in "A foot lengths and piled up length
wise in the center Of the road until the
pile was about 70 feet high. This pile
was then covered with earth taken from
bitches on either side of the road. Then
it was burned until the wood was per-
fectly charred, and then the pile was
raked down to the width of 10 feet, with
a depth of two feet in the middle and of
one foot at either side These charcoal
roads became very compact and free
from dust. The cost of building such q
road was about $500 per mile. All these
early types of roads were used for the
most part in the country districts.-New
York Recorder.