Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-07-12
A RAILWAY STORY.

How the People of this Section Oppes-
ed the b. & o. Line in Hope Of Keep.
ing out the Cumberland Road. and
Then Lost Them Both.
Written for the Uniontown Genius BY
James MADDEN.
Few OF the present generation II
the residents of this county who wit
ness the enterprise of her citizens, the
vast network Of her railroads, with
their miles of moving freight, can re-
alize that until within the recollection
of her older residents not a railroad
entered her borders, and that many
of her otherwise progressive citizens
bitterly opposed the introduction OF
one over Fayette's soil
George Washington in his day, re.
allied the Importance OF the construc-
tion of a great public highway con-
Meeting the east with the west, lest
the Allegheny mountains would be-
come the great dividing ridge between
the Atlantic states aud the vast and
fertile Mississippi valley, and there be
formed two separate and distinct gov
ernments.
With this object in view he made
several visits to the trans-Alleghen y
regions, and with map in hand con-
sulted with many whom he judged to
be competent to entertain opinions
upon this important subject. He ex-
amined several routes which had been
deemed feasible for the construction
of canals connecting the waters flow
ing into the Atlantic with those flow
Ing into the Ohio river. And it was
his giant mind that first grasped the
plan of constructing the great nation
al road, which was subsequently built
by the government, and it was owing
to the interest that he manifested
therein that congress took the subject
into consideration and the conception
became reality.
The first pack saddle road over the
mountains was made by and in the
interests of the Ohio Company for the
purpose of settling vast tract OF
land lying between the Monongahela
and the Kanawha rivers, in the Ohio
valley, and OF supplying the settlers
therein with such stores as would
meet their requirements.
For this purpose the Indian chief,
Nemacolin, was employed to blaze the
way by which Christopher Gist, the
agent for the company, might locate
a suitable road to meet the needs of
the company. This was given the
name of Nemacolins trail which il
still retains.
When Washington then in his
youth, was sent as an envoy by Din
widdie, then governor of the province
of Virginia, TO visit the French posts
at the head of the Allegheny river
and who had already begun the con
struction OF forts, and to make in
roads into the Ohio valley, he travers
ed this trail, and again when sent ou
with small army to take possession
of the forks of the Ohio this route wa
followed; and finally when Major Gen
eral Edward Braddock was SEN
against the French forces at Fort Du
quesne, this was his route to and from
lis disastrous defeat, since which
time the route has been known as the
Braddock road.
This was the only wagon roat
which crossed the mountains until
General Forbes forced his way and
marched his army against Fort Du
quesne in 1853 passing by way OF Bed
! ford and Hannahstown to the forks o.
| the Ohio.
The Braddock road was exceedingly
rough and much of it too narrow fol
wagons to meet aud pass. At such
places it was necessary to ascertain il
another team occupied the narrow
! passage before entering from the op
posite direction. The first wagon
load OF merchandise brought over the
mountains was by way of this road Ii
1889.