Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-02-01
The National Road.


Some time since the Leader publish
ed some matter relating to the old
National Road" written by Mr.. Will
liam Harris, this city. That gentle
man recently lent us a copy Of the In
dlanapolis News. of 1892. which has
some interesting information about
the historic old trail from east to west,
road splendldly important at one
time but which Is gradually becoming
obscure
The necessity of connecting the east
with the west by national road was
discussed by the Congress of 1902, but
it was until four years later that an
appropriation Of $4,000 was made for
the survey of such a road. The ap-
preparation bill provided that the road
should extend from point on the Po-
tomac river to some point on the Ohio
river. This, as will be seen was indef1-
mite. The surveyors had only fairly
commenced their work when the war
of 1912 came on and stopped the enter
prise for the time being. At the close
of that war the people of the interior
were more clamorous than ever for the
road, and Congress took up the mat
ter without delay and several appro-
priations were made. All the while,
though, the question as to whether
Congress had the power to appropriate
money for such a purpose was being
raised One political party held that
here existed such a right, while the
other maintained the opposite. A con-
siderable portion Of the road had been
built when, in 1922, President Monroe
vetoed a bill approprlating money to
maintain that portion Of the road that
had been completed. Monroe main
tained that the Government had the
right to construct such road, but af-
ter it was built must turn 1t over to
the state for maintenance. This was
the doctrine that finally prevailed
The work on the road went on by slow
stages, always subject to the whims Of
the party in power but in time it be-
gan to reach out toward the rapidly
growing west.
1t was constructed through Indiana
between 1888 and 1888. For a long
time it seemed that the road would not
pass through Indianapolis. From the
1o4o of tba Rrst b;Il In Cop ura-c rala T.
ing to the road up until 1927, the pub
lie men of the State we're constantly
engaged in an effort to have the road
pass this way. The effort had almost
been abandoned, when Oliver H. Smith
became a member of Congress from
the Eastern district of the State i'll
| 1927. The line had been surveyed to
run near Columbus, this state. Mr..
Smith introduced an amendment,
changing the route past the then small
village of Indianapolis, and was sue
cessful in getting it through Congress.
The historians of Indiana say the road
was surveyed through this state by
Lazarus B Wilson. Mr. Wilson also
planned the wooden arch bridges on
The old covered bridge over White
| The line, few CT which still stand.
river is one of them, and the bridges
over Little and Big Eagle creeks are
others familiar to the people of this
city. The "macadamizlng" of the
road was a great thing for the people
of the state within reach of the road
soon after the completion of the great
highway, the possibilities of railroad
transportation dawned upon the coun-
try, but it was a good many years be-
fore steam cars were actually travers-
ing Indiana. The last appropriation
for the road was made by Congress in
1898. The road had then been opened
to the line of Illinois, and there is
stopped as a national road, although
| it was subsequently all the way to St.
Louis, and is still a thoroughfare tC
| that city. 1t was the steam railway
| that stopped the road. 1t was over
taken by the progress of humanity.
From first to last the National govern
ment expended on the national road in
construction and repairs $G,S21. .246.
| For almost quarter Of century
there was a long debate at every ses-
sion of Congress over the proposition
to appropriate money to build and
maintain the road. The first speech
| oliver H. Smith ever made in Con-
gress was in answer to a speech of a
Virglnian, who took the ground that
the Government could not appropriate
money for the construction of the road
The bill under under consideration
provided for the appropriation of
100000 with which to complete the
road through Indiana. The speech
of Mr.. Smith secured the passage Of
che bill; at any rate. the bill was pass
ed after the speech had been made.
The appearance of the railroad put a
stop to highway building by the Nat
fonal Government. More than that it
made advisable for the National Gov
eminent to get property of this kind
eff its hands as soon as possible. The
members of Congress all saw that it
would be an unwise thing for the Gov
ernment to undertake to keep in re-
pair such a thoroughfare as the Nat
ional road, and it turned over TO the
States through which it passed. In
scme of the states it is still maintain