New Ulm review., 1913-12-24
Active Efforts TO Secure
The Building Of Great
Highways.
Nation Wide Association En-
rolls 40 Members In
New Ulm.

Ll0koO Will ua0 0Aososy ~
country from earliest times when
General Brsddock led his English
soldiers thru the wildernsss or
Western PennsylvaDia to take Fort
Du Quesne from the French who were
settling the Mississippi and Ohio
Valleys, Is the story Of the National
Road. II has been the dream OF
empire builders since before the
Revolutionary War TO link the great
unknown West with the settlements 70
the East OF the Appalachian Noun
tains. Settlers in the narrow valleys
alonR the Atlantic Coast knew that the
time would come when adventurous
spislss would push ahead into the
vslleys Of the great rivers that lowed
"a the ,south .Naat and that roeds
would is needed 70 convey the a.
,enturers and their household goods
J to new homes In the dresmed-of land
| Of the setting sun, Those who dreamed
!; also planned and had visions OF 2
| great National Road stretching g the
Mississippi.
Romsnce and adventure cling about
these old plans aid dreams 80 that
today tho very names Of the old trails
take one back in fancy to the makers
of destiny in the old days. The ex-
ten sion OF the Cumberland Road or
/ Braddock's Road was known % the
"Old Trail'' and vas built by tie
United States Governments % far west
as Indianapolis. They authorized
this work in 1906 and surveyed % fer.
az st. Louis and graded 70 Vsndsatar
Illinois. This Was practically he
first interest shown by tho National
Government In the building OF roads,
!! The '.Old Trail'' grew westward
under the names of "BOone's Lick
Road which extended into Missouri
What scenes of frontier hardships
and adventures rise up before the
minds eye at mention Of tho name of
Boone! From Missouri it continued
southwest to Mexican soil, under the
name "Santa Fe Trall' famed in
every account of the developments Of
the vast desert country in that section.
of America. Over part of this trail
had passed the Spaniard Coronado In
l542 in his explorations for the tabled
Seven Cities of the supposedly rich
Indians. Again the history of the trail
was enhanced by the daring of Kit
Carson, scout and Indian Fighter who
ran away over this route in 1926 when
only q boy OF sixteen. Later the trail
pushed on toward the setting sum
until it reached Los Angeles by way
OF Phoenix and San Diego. The
country north OF the Santa Fe route
was served by the "Overland Trail,
and the "Butterfield Overland Des
patch" The "Pikes Peak Express
helped to make Denver and the ''Ore-
gon Trail" built up the Northwest
ending at Astoria while 9 cutoff from
Fort Hall in Idaho linked San Fran
cisco with the East. These trails we're
blszed by the fur trappers belonging
to Astor's company in 1910 and the
roads in the Wes. were all the result
OF private enterprise and the daring
of adventurous spirits who saw visions
OF what the country would become in
future days. The Mormon Trail" OF
ls47 pictures another development OF
Western Life and speaks eloquently OF
the tragedy of Utah. The Pony Ex-
press which was established froH
Fort Independence was the first COM
merciallzing OF these trails and it
too, was of private origin.
During this century OF growth west,
Continued on last page.)