Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-03-23

THE OLD CUMBERLAND ROAD FIR
the starting point, to the Ohio there
were only two artificial restrictions as
to Its course. The Commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania, in granting permission
to the Federal Government to construct
the road In it's domain, made the pro-
yiso that 1t must pass through Wash
lngton, the seat Of Washington County.
and Uniontown, the capital of Fayette
County. The first commission was en-
powered to locate the terminus of the
Eastern section of the road anywhere
between the mouth of Grave Greek,
near Wheeling, on the Ohio River, and
the northern limit of Steubenville.
From one to another Of the four points
Cumberland, Uniontown, Washington
and Wheeling, the route was laid as
straight as possible, in reasonable con-
formity to the face of the country.
But beyond the Ohio it was even more
direct, Congress requiring that, except
for Its touching the capitals Of the
three States, Ohio, Indiana and I'LL
nois, distance must be economlzed as
much as possible. 1t crosses, there
fore, a great part of the rolling lands
between the Ohio and the Mississippi,
especially the prairles of Indiana and
Illinois, In an almost absolutely
straight line.
States Proud of the Highway.
The width of the thoroughfare was
fixed by Congress at four rods and It's
greatest grade at FIVE degrees. The
average cost per mile from the Poto-
mac to the Ohio was $4,000, far ex-
ceeding the estimate OF the commits
sioners, but through the comparatively
level region beyond the latter river it
was less than half as much. The road
was not fully constructed beyond Van
dalia, III. The last appropriation was
made for 1t by Congress In 1888. The
railways had rapidly encroached upon
its traffic until, two years before that,
Congress had seriously debated wheth-
er 1t would not be wiser to substitute
a railway for 1t between Columbus,
Ohio, and the Mississippi. 1t was the
original policy Of Congress to turn the
road over to the States In which II
ay, on the condition that they repair
and maintain 1t, and this was carried
out There was at the same time,
however, q Federal commission
charged with the supervision of the re-
"A !
pride in the highway and established
toll houses for the collection OF reve-
nue. to be uoed toward Its maintenance.
These toll stations were at a greater
distance apart in Pennsylvania than
they were in the three Western States.
In the early days in Ohio the gate
keepers were considered OF such i'm
portancs that the Governor appointed
them.
Immense BENEFIT to the Country.
The material benefit which the coun-
try derived from this great national
highway, however, was quite unmeas-
urable. A writer who Is an authority
on the subject says that the construc-
ton of the Cumberland road "was one
OF the most Important steps in that
movement OF national expansion which
followed the conquest of the West 1t
Is probably impossible for US to realize
fully what 1t meant to the West when
that vanguard Of surveyors came down
the slopes of the Alleghenies, hewing a
thoroughfare which should In one gen.
Grafton bind distant and half-acquaint-
ed States together In bonds Of common
interest sympathy and ambition. I'm
til that day travellers spoke of going
into and coming out Of the West as
though 1t were a Mammoth Cave. The
growth and prosperity OF the West
was impossible until the dawnIng OF
such convictions as those which made
the Cumberland road a reality"
The national highway was a con-
ception of the youthful Washington,
about the time when he was with
Braddoek's Inflated expedition against
the savages. He adhered to that dream
throughout his life; but it was not I'M
I'll seven years after his death, In the
administration OF Jefferson, that any