The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-11-06
DAYS OF TURNPIKES.
More of the History of the Great Highway
Between the East and West.

All countries have had their bistor-
ic roads; great arteries through which
beat national life, along which have
flowed enterprise and progress until
the railroad consigned them to desue-
tude and practical oblivion.
Greatest of all these highways of
history in the eyes of true Americans
was our own national road that cross
ed the United States from the Atlantic
to the State of Ohio, and from there
trailed on until lost in the Western
prairies. 1t has frequently been COM
pared to the Appian Way, but our
great highway was mucn nobler, since
the former was designed to crafty
the vanity of consuls, proconsuls,
kings and emperors, while the latter
was planned for free and progressive
people, to aid in building up a great
and growing nation.
The old national road was one of
the most important steps in the evolu-
ton of modern trade and travel. AT
a time when the great tide of emigra-
tioh was pouring into the Mississippi
Valley it was, more than any other
institution, the means of Fastening
the development of the great West.
This grand old highway, now almost
ruin, almost unknown to the citi-
zens of our country, was instrumental
in turning the course of emigration
from the south to the West. Over it
were carried an almost countless pop
ulation and millions of actual wealth,
and the Middle West was by its clasp
linked to the new and boundless acres
of the North.
The story of the wonderful trail of
free people is full of interest to
every citizen. From its hopeful be-
ginning through the height of its fame
and glory, even to the day of it's de-
cline, it has claim upon this age and
generation, and must ever be a tie
which binds the present to the past.
In early times it served to harmonic
and bring together the different
States, and no doubt did much to
strengthen and save the Union. This
old national road was the first and
only highway that was built by funds
from the National Treasury.
The question of internal land and
water communication was in the
minds of our fathers even before the
Revolution. George Washington was
one of the most interested in the mat
ter, and as early as ITO he visited
this part of the country, examining
the lay of the land and the trend of
the streams. There was then an In
dian trail leading through this Sec
ton, over which he was guided by
noted Indian, Nemacolin; and still
later he cut a road through the same
forest. This was called the ''Braddock
Road" and was displaced at length
by the national highway, which tread
ed its path over the same route. All
of this section is classic ground, and
about the hills and valleys linger the
mighty memories of the French and
Indian wars which led to the struggle
for liberty in 1776.
The question of a road between the
East and West was agitated very ear
ly in our national history, but with
out actual results until after the Rev
olution. The question of it's construc-
ton came up at the first session of
our Continental Congress. 1t was
then decided upon and operations at
once planned. When Ohio was ad-
mitted as a State in 1902, Congress
set aside five per cent. of all moneys
received from the sale of public lands
within the State to be used in the
construction of road from the nayi-
gable waters of the Atlantic to the
Ohio River, and this was the nucleus
of our great highway.
Early in 1906 Congress passed bill
authorizing the appointment of COM
missioners to lay out a road oyer the
mountains, and President Jefferson
appointed Thomas Moore and Eli
Williams, of Maryland, and Joseph
Kerr, of Ohio. These men did noble
work, and by the close of the year
had laid out definite plans. The road
was located on exactly the route they
first selected, which speaks well for
their wisdom. 1t ran from Cumber-
land to Wheeling, a distance of 1870
miles and from there extended thro'
Ohio and Indiana and finally was lost
amid the prairies of primitive Illinois.
1t was constructed under direction of
the War Department, the work let in
sections to contractors, with Brigadier
General Gratiot in charge of it. The
road was cut through the forest four
rods wide, graded and piked with
stones, which covered the roadbed
from IL to IS inches. It's original cost
was more than $1,OOO,OOO, which was
then thought vast sum to be spent
on public improvements.
AS soon as it was opened it became