The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-20
An AMERICAN GPpllS WAY.
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ts I%Isgsyie Niaries tut eHpehiiists
Interested w tive Restoratr1 sehrmr
ns,Innal pike ~ rim islm no Atlantic
~ mo ptelne ls thc latest proposition IN
ina and N hie schanes
The Hfat step hns Loon tttcr ~ y snns
trpro ulmap' as lpne ta the Proposed pike
Ifasff fbo Washing 49, tHV announces tho
ft.. 'hla
fhs creation ~ fho American fppinn
Wv. i]oeipnina ~ Wellington, m Atlantic
tIn,ntet. frilrwirg f.H 'rtl ~ tho historic
National PIKE through fhr r0sses " Tho
,rrtIachlart md Hpr14H ''o Ohio. through
ne grrt' millla " a'tos ~ Louis. AMI then
IN two great boulevard ON ~ Tho Pacific,
ma ~ which viii crp4s Montana ~ Puget
Sound and the other through Denver and
salt lake over tho Iiookisl and S.rrras to
san Francisco,
,Stnp here for rsst and rrfrC-hmcnt
viii 10 tho magnificent frIitiou ~ plans
tho first tentative steps NJ which have been
r1ken In tho introduction Ola bill IN Congress
~ Representative Pearre NJ Maryland for
an appropriation Tor tho restoration 81 The
monumental and landmarks and the recon.
strIotiun ~ the ancient Cumberland Road
that by its building made an empire pos
sble
Automobile associations and good roads
folk all over the country are pledged to tho
support Of the bin. "Honk' Hpnk'" Ia tho
war cry Of tho new movement.
save to the historian and those who live
along the dusty thread OF macadam that
binds together Washington and ST. Louis,
the story Of the old National Pike il an
unknown cha pter.
The route is prehistoric. Even before
the Indians invaded America herds Of buff
falo roamed the contine ut. They we're
Americas first road makers. They dld
their work so we'll that a map OF their trans
and traces" would duplicate the great
highway and railway systems Of to-day.
The National Pike, or the Cumberland
Road. as IL was popularity called, was iT't
q buffalo trace worn deep across the AiPa-
iaCaian n; By . the GE9Sn nD Iss h h0Sisn 81 G mr1,s
they followed this same trail in their hunt
ing excursions and war expeditions, re-
treating over it to the West before the
ever advancing, relentless frontier OF the
white man.
Over this Path came the Anglo-Saxon
hunter and trapper, followed by the home
maker, until at last the tide OF emigration
poured in a deluge through the mountain
passes to the land of promise.
To supply the trade demands OF TINS
growing Western population in the early
days, long trains OF pack ponies picked
their way TO and fro over the old tumber-
land trail, to be displaced by. the great
Conestoga freight wagons and speeding
mail COACHES II the early days OF the cent
ury, they in turn to vanish when the steam
railroad accomplished the supposedly i'm
possible feat Of climbing the mountains,
Every mile Of the old Cumberland Road
Is historic ground. Over it toiIed the young
surveyor, Washington. Later the British
grenadiers tramped the route, led by Brad
dock, whose grave is still green beside the
trail,
Discomfort followed the settlement Of the
country beyond the Apralachians. De-
spised by the tidewater patricians, the set
tiers of the Western valleys turned to the
support of the Burr conspiracy. just at this
crisis there was u successful demand Tor n
great road which should bind the two
sections together.
In 1902 Jefferson signed a bill for the
survey of the National Pike. The first
contract was awarded in 1911 and the road
was completed in 1918. In, 1925 was begun
the extension OF the National flRe from
Wheeling to st. Louis. g,
The reconstruction of the old national
road will resurrect in a measure the vanished
glories of the famous stage coach days.
Scattered along the road were the OLD
taverns, Of which only a few remain. 1t
is expected that many, of these will be re-
built, thus restoring the most picturesque
feature Of the old turnpike.
The first taverns along the route were
built OF logs, and consisted OF only Two
rooms and u great fireplace, before which
the tired travellers slept in their blankets,
curled up on the punoheon floors. They
sported such names as Sign Of the Rising
Sun, Sign Of the Orange Tree, Temple
of June, Six Mile House, Sign of the Golden
Swan, Sign of the Indian Queen, Sign OF
the Green Tree, Sign Of the Cross Keys.
Around the blaze gathered the merry
crowd of travellers, and it was a gala event
for the inn, when the central tgure OF the
group would be Clay, jackson, Harrison
Troliope, Prince Maximi!ian of Wied,
Rafnesque and many other travellers from
Europe were guests OF the old taverns and
left entertaining accounts Of their impress
At the side Of the old fireplace hung the
flip iron and the huge poker, sometimes
seven or eight feet long. It's use was
jealousy guarded as a rerogative OF the
tavern landlord.
Before the advent Of the railroad twenty
speeding coaches in n single line made q
familiar spectacle, and the caravan OF huge
freighters, each wagon carrying six to, eight
thousand pounds, sometimes numbered
close to a hundred. =,
The occasion when the life OF the old
highway throbbed in its greatest intensity
was when a President or a President-elect
passed in triumphant procession along its
the "pike boys" All the taverns and houses
along the route were bedecked in the well
come and cheering crowds from miles
around thronged he stopping places and
crossroads.
The finest horses and the most gorgeous
coach procurahle were assigned to the task,
and the proud position OF character to
the President was given to the pick OF
the jehus on the line, who ever, afterward
were marked and noted. jackson, van
Buren,, Monroe, Harrison, Polk and l,yier
passed over portions Of tho old road in
digniied Presidential pageant, like the
triumphal professions OF the Roman En-
perors.
Clay, tie great champion OF the road,
and Of the policy of internal improvements
was a ~favorite in every hamlet, and In the
records OF those old days along the pike
occur the names of Benton, Cas-, Lafayette
Santa Ana, Black Hawk, Jenny, LIND, bar.
mum, John Quincy Adams and q host oil
others. -, ,
The first steps toward renewing the life OF
the old highways are being taken:
At its session just adjourned the Mary
land Legislature made an appropriation for
the reconstruction as a boulevard OF the
road between Baltimore and Washington,
and at a recent convention of the Southern
automobile associations the plan for re-
building the old pike from Washington
south TO Jacksonville took tangible shape,