The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-29
ALONG THE PO'OMAC.
HISTORIC GEOUN. ON DTH SIDES
OF the FAMvy
Tho Loudoun Reggie and its Future
Transportation Rites inhe Days
Before Riroad


wound around the bal OF Il Sugar Loaf
mountain near Dickson station. Just
then a train blew 70 the cesburg sta
ton on the washinpn at Ohio road.
and It brought to mynindgery forcibly
the paraIielism Of u roas in coming
from the capital cittthe ne in Mont
gomcry county, Md, f otlr in Loudoun
county, ya..-and ala thekinship and
similarity between THE colties in colo
NAL days. in their mans travel and
transportation, in thecharter oil the't
settlers and in the hodeand aim on
their agriculture. In thos early days
Frederick county. Nd. pnclled within It's
domain part OF Card anan the DINER
counties that now mail up fstern Mary
land. On this side Price Villain inciud-
oI all of Fairfax, Loulbun I'd Fauquier.
ROYAL provinces theyIwef and I'm the
diversified character 4 So and noun
tain and river scenGy Te equal 10
some of our smaller Sateof this day.
The faith bond of intrest, them must
certainly have been the tomac river.
The navigation was psirted 10 some
extent by the falls in The lcer river, but
their canoes and fiat Joaisould be used
as carriers for many milesn the upper
stretches OF the river and rtage around
the falls for the light loatsad unloading
and reloadiDg for the neay,nes afforded
them good facilities for Importation to
tide water.
The next means Of tavelnd transpor-
talon for mutual benefit V Br1ddock's
road. This mighty tictici. of Europe,
but most dismal failure as Dushwhacker
for America, landed in lexandrla in
l75j. He sent reginentf his forces
and r portion of his sores Winchester,
and another TO Frederick, !. Here were
two roads opened Up d improved
through the counties Of aryland ard
Virginia adjacent 10 the ger. Through
every county south of the otomac, from
Alexandria TO Winchester.here are re-
mains of Braddock's roacIn Gathers
burg district. not far fr. the line of
the Metropolitan railroad Montgomery
county tradition locates Q crossing OF
Linear creek by an Cd Ian trail from
Alexandria TO Frederick, d. over these
roads were transported artery and bag
gage wagons. The road ON Frederick
TO Winchester must havaeen IN better
condition than from Alandria to the
erlck, purchased from Gernor Sharpe,
an English coach and six rises, i'm which
he was driven 10 Wi1chesr and thence
TO Cumberland He Unattended going
10 Cumberland by the nthern bank OF
the river. but the roadSas not sufii-
GENTLY completed for q undertaking.
AS ii was. the journey riired ten days.
and when he reached cumberland he
relinquished the coach abeing unit 10
travel over such roads.
After Braddock's defe these roads
were used by the setilerof the counties
bordering on the Potoma for travel and
transportation Of suprl,. For twenty
years after these roads We made scarce
~ vehicle travelled or them. Foot
men and horsemen used EN- in reaching
the frontier 10 trade with inland set
tiers. The hardy pionrs made theil
journeys on foot. AcQ.inted with th'
Use of the rifle. plow, al sickle, travel
ing on foot was no lair. Pack horses
carried their freight. WIN the wives Of
daughters took the trip ley rode on Pill
lows behind their father husbands. an'
brothers. The trade cotsted in leather
saddles, harness, bod, shoes, Hnen
wooden and iaxen thirds. honey, drieC
apples, and butter ir irkJns. salt an'
iron implements werl carried on pacl
horses, and a busheFof alum salt wa
a fair equivalent intrade for iresi
COW and calf. The tde went TO Alex
andria and even to IAtimore ana Ahhap
oils. As early - ~ there was pup
lie road from Fregrick to Annapohs
The trade inland consisted OF eouol
goods. indigo, saltI lead and suh-po"
der The ttansportfion Of tobacco wa
done in q tanner tcullar TO itself. Tn
booshead las rlerh out with shafts an
seats and with aimule and driver wa
wheeled Il the mfket 49,,
Tobaccowas male a legal tender in l'd
at one peiny per pound, SO that when IN
Nontgorty or Fairfax planter rolled int
Alexandh on his queer vehicle he foun
tirsalt ltara1v astride Of a "barl 9
rnone,. hin 17Sg. travel from the cast I
tho w, had assumed such proportion
,bot mi general government, which wa
,bo, o,e nized gave some attention 70 N
,,otlerhnd I'm 1915 the National road wa
c-oanii and Henry Clay, who wa
oiv-.vlifs ardent friend and patron. p
io,od trough Congress its first appropri
tion ofsO.OO. On the Virginia side OF II
river a. of the first main thorouShiaf'
from buth 10 north was the Caro'Hl
road. Loads OF cotton. molasses' susA
and dur were brought 70 tide wa'e
h,, th road. and when LcesburS wa
roche the freight could 80 east by VI
Atexoif!a and Winchester road, or pas
o., AL ..iv north. and take The Nationa
road h Frederick county 10 Baltimore az
Winchester and Alexandria PIKE uraii'
rnuchfrom the Piedmont county anu W,
used IN wagons from Augusta ana i'o0'
inghah. ,-.o,,o,oo,
rif1 wagons. with miscellaneol
freiah hu. particularly flour, WIN ITO
forr l. six horses in one continuous III
have been teen 10 pass through Leesoui
ON the v,ayto Alexandria. The PIKE pas
ing though Fairfax Court HOUSE " nv
andri, wasa crowded thoroIShiaiS' ~
men row ling have counted one hului ,
and frtv wagons in one day en- ivuoe
Alexandria loaded principally WIN nou
The most Important road' 'asiS "ee,,-
HE 10 the .ounties Of western M@r> iai
and used toa good extent by the cou',. 10Y
90 o,,5ounand Fairfax. in Virginia, Wa
tho Nationd pike What VISION oil Oh
time travel'is called up by iha' I'm
II was commenced in 1918, ana WAS
tr,,nl, line or thirty years, an lnltneh'
artery throlbing with the bustle anu ua'
and traffic Of those times =. W. ,,,ost
pletea in ls2, was one hundred ana t| We !
one miles Dng. and was intended 70 :
tend wegtrard from Baltimore 10
Louis. A f.w miles inland on either on
showed tho forests and streams III
their primeral witness. . h,,
Most things were stan IN usse ,s 80 90
and brier.'f To have stepped ior.n ~
the magnifcertly kept thorousnia al ~ ~,
have been like translator - ~ ~. W..
land Sixten coaches going either WI
you'd nasgin the course OF q day, ga
bedlzened with paint and bright Color
bolding fron eight TO fifteen passenger
drawn nv four and six weil-@room
horses n,h,ing ten and twelve miles
borr M we're the Royal Blues I
up F. w, of that time. The miles we
marked M iron posts. The bridges We
b,,iit 4, -, most substantial manner. 4