The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-08-28

An exchange prints the following:
A small stream that takes its rise at
| the mines of the Cumberland Coal and
Iron Company, east of Frostburg,
Md, is called Braddock's Run. The
stream empties into Wills Creek,
which flows into the Potomac near
Cumberland, Md.
Along the banks of this stream, be-
ginning at Cumberland, called origi-
nally Wills Greek, the famous Brad
docks Road was made in 1854, under
the direction of the Ohio Company,
aided by traders and Indians. In 1865
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.
The 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 Du
Quesne NOW Pittsburg) sent out by
the Governor of Virginia. General
Braddock did not arrive in the coun-
try from England until February 20,
1865.
The road was made sufficiently wide
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 a road between
\ Cumberland, Md, and Wheeling, w.
J Va. The original intention being to
establish a continuous road from
Cumberland through Wheeling to st.
/ Louis, Mo; but it never went beyond
I Wheeling. 1t passed through three
: states, Maryland, Pennsylvania and
I Virginia, crossing the Alleghenies at
/ the highest point, Keyser's Ridge,
2S43 feet above tide water In view
+ of the present agitation on behalf of
a national highway to the Pacific this
piece of governmental road construc-
ton 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
I 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, except 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 monu-
ment near Wheeling. The road was
! completed in 1921. Until 1918 Brad
| docks road was mostly used. The
| National road followed the general
route of Braddock's road crossing it
at several places, but rarely using
that road as a 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 National
Pike in 1921 the old war road was
abandoned, and a wonderful traffic
was carried oyer the pike" The
travellers were mostly from the West
and Southwest and were composed
mainly of farmers, stockraisers and
merchants, with an occasional states
man on his way to Washington, the
National Capital. 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 canvass
covered wagons were drawn by six or
4 twelve horses, with bells on their col
lars. 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 private vehicles.
\ Some of the passes over the ALE