The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-01
THE OLD NATIONAL PIKE.

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A small stream that takes its rise
at the mines of the Cumberland Coal
and Iron Company, east of Frost
burg, Nd, is called Braddock's Run.
The stream empties into Wills Greek,
which flows into the Potomac, near
the City of Cumberland, Nd.
Along the banks of this stream,
beginning at Cumberland, called orig
inally Wills Creek, the famous Brad
docks road was made in 1854, under
the direction of the Ohio Company,
aided by traders and Indians. In
1854, General Braddock, who gave
his name to both road and stream,
used the road in his expedition against
the French, and it was the only
means of communication between
Baltimore and the West.
This road, enormously supposed to
be the work of Braddock's soldiers,
was really built by Washington in
1854, when in command of the expe-
dition against the French at Fort
Quesne (now Pittsburgh sent out by
the Governor of Virginia. General
Braddock did not arrive i'll the coun-
try from England until February
2oth, 1855.
The road was made wide enough
for the passage of vehicles. There
was no engineering, grading or
smoothing. 1t was simply removal
of rocks and trees.
When Braddock's road was con-
demned as being unsuitable for the
increasing amount of traffic westward,
the United States Government in
1906 commenced building road be-
tween Cumberland, Md, and Wheel
ing, w. Va, she original intention
being to establish continuous road
from Cumberland, through Wheeling
to St. Louis, Mo-, but it never went
beyond Wheeling. 1t passed through
tSgsN hiss af SftHt tie fESaE kIgfEsasE point, Keysers
Ridge, 2S43 feet above tide water.
In view of the present agitation on
behalf of national highway to the
Pacific this pieceof governmental road
construction has renewed interest.
The road from Cumberland to
Wheeling was called the United
States National Road, or National
Turnpike. 1t was one hundred and
twenty-one miles in length. 1t was
excellently macadamized, the streams
and rivers were spanned by stone
bridges, with magnificent archways,
which are a source of admiration to
the engineers of today. Especially
admirable is the noble structure at
"Little Crossings" the semi-circular
arch of which is of great width and
height, and is still in good repair, ex-
cept the parapet walls, which have
been thrown down by the hands of
some rustic vandal. The distances
along the road were marked by iron
mile posts, and its toll houses were
supplied with iron gates.
The chief projectors of the road
were Gallatin (Secretary of the Treas
ury under Jefferson), Calhoun and
Clay. Clay's services in behalf of
the road are commemorated by
monument near Wheeling. The road
was completed in 1921. Until 1878
Braddock's road was mostly used.
The national road followed the gen.
eral route of Braddock's road, cross
ing it several places, but rarely using
that road as bed. Today the course
of Braddock's road is easily traced,
but is overrun with rank vegetation
trees one foot in diameter growing in
the bed of the road.
After the completion of the nation
al pike in 1921, the old "war road
was abandoned, and wonderful traf-
fc was carried over the "pike. The
travellers were mostly from the West
and Southwest, and were composed
mainly of farmers, stockraisers and
merchants, dressed in homespun and
buckskin, with an occasional states
man on his way to Washington, the
national capitol. There were four
teen or more gaily-painted stage
coaches running each way every day
the droves of cattle, sheep and hogs
were never out of sight, the canvas
covered wagons were drawn by six
or twelve horses, with bells on their
collars. There were also through
freight wagons from Baltimore to
Wheeling, which carried two tons.
They were drawn by twelve horses
and their rear wheels were ten feet
high. The families of merchants and
statesmen generally travelled in pri-
vate vehicles.
Some of the passes over the Ale
ghenies through which the road
wound, were as precipitous as the
passes in the Sierra Nevadas, and the
mountains as rugged and as wild.
Within sight of the road the country
was a wilderness. Herds of deer
were not uncommon and the traveller
by night was often startled by the
scream of wild cat or panther, the
snarl of the wolf in the wake of the
coach, or the growl of the bear in the
neighboring thicket, while on the
highway the traffic was as dense and
continuous as in the main street of a
large town.
The stage coaches were large, lum.
bering affairs, very strong and dura-
Bile, sometimes neatly upholstered,
and capable of accommodating nine
inside passengers and two outside
with the driver and guard. The
driver was quite an important person
age. From his drivers perch hs