The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-02-23
HISTORY OF ROAD BUILDING.
By F. L. POWERS.

from the primary paths made by AMI
mails and by men. Of the identity OF
the first beings who made paths IN
the wilderness We are uncertain.
Whatever their character and origin,
we may be reasonably certain ina
they had roads of some sort.
1t cannot be positively asserted that
the mound-building Indians made
roads. but that such was the case
seems not unlikely. Several c
stances indicate that they had some
system of communication. The re-
mains OF their works are often found
on streams that we're not naVlgaole'
and groups of them are found con-
centrated about natural s~trategelc
points such as mountain passes, thus
making natural the inference that
some venue of overland travel eX-
listed.
Road building began at centres,
and spread out with the spread OF
population. Probably the real work
of opening the roads in America be-
gan with the bride paths on the At
lantic Slope. In 1889 a measure was
passed in the Massachusetts Bay COL
ony which provided that two or three
men from adjacent towns get togeth-
er and lay out proper roads. They
were instructed to place the roads
where they might be most convenient,
and those deputed to the work were
to have the power to locate them
wherever they chose provided it did
not necessitate pulling down a mans
house or going through his garden or
orchard. These men seem to have
been (about) the first highway COM
m%issioners of whom we have record.
In 1850 there were three routes
running through Southwestern Penn
sylvania, Central Pennsylvania and
Central New York. These roads are
said to have been wide enough for
two pack horses to pass. In 1855 two
roads were opened westward by troops
Of Washington, Braddock and Forbes.
These were long trails widened by
pack horses of the Ohio Companies
agents. B%raddock's road was cut
through in 1855.
In about 1852 the development Of
the railroads took from the National
Pike the bulk Of travel and traffic, as
we'll as the mails between the East
and West. Thus began the period of
decline of the most famous road in
Jul history.
In 1904, 1905 and 1906, through
the favor of the National Congress,
the Lewis and Clark expedition was
organized, for the purpose of estab-
fishing a route from the Atlantic to
the Pacific by following the Missouri
to it's source, crossing to and follow
ing to tidewater the great river which
forms the southern boundary of the
State of Washington. Great credit is
due Meriwether Lewis and Captain
Clark and their company Of explorers
in carrying out this work. Praise is
also due to John c. Fremont, the en-
inent engineer, who in 1914 surveyed
a route to these shores through what
was then named the South Pass of the
Rockies.
The plank road came into existence
as a rival Of macadam construction in
the year 1885. The first road of this
sort to be built in the United States
was constructed at Syracuse in 1887.
A large number of plank road compa-
MES were organized, and within
fifteen years from the introduction of
that method of road construction
21O6 miles had been constructed in
the State of New York. These roads
were usually built single track and Of
planks eight by three inches, laid on
strinSers resting on more or less well
laid foundations. The average cost
in New York was less than $4,000 per
mile, and their cheapness made them
popular.
Paved roadways appear to have re-
ceived attention in the towns and cit
les before very much attention was
given to the subject Of country road
building. According to the most au'
chentic records, the first pavements
laid in the United States were put
down almost simultaneously in the
cities of New York and Boston in the
year 1850. These pavements have
been referred to as pebbles, probably
what we would call cobblestone pave
ments. The development of this
branch Of road building has been
brought to a high state Of develop
ment, due, of course, to the great
amount and diversified nature of the
traffic to be accommodated.
The modern awakening to the ne
cessity for better roads, or, as it is
more commonly called, the good
roads movement, began in 1885 when
the bicycle came into general use.
Bicycles became very popular, and in
consequence a large army Of new
users of the highways was produced
These wheelnen quickly saw the ne
cessity for better highways, not only
for themselves, but for all other road
users as well. They organized them
selves and began issuing literature
calling the attention Of the public to
the great loss entailed from lack Of
better country roads. Statistics were
published showing the cost Of bad
roads to the farmer and to all other
citizens. This literature was sent
broadcast and the newspapers were