The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-02-10
THE OLD PLANK ROAD
Interesting stry of Guiding of
Historic Old Read Which
Passed Through GuilfOrd
County.

SOOAACS .-H. ~
(By a High Point School Girl
A High Point school girl tells
the story of the old Plank Roae
from Fayetteville up througF
the state to WinstonSalem. The
old road passes through Gull
ford county and for almost q
century has been a, main thor,
oughfare.
Before writing her story, Miss
Hamilton interviewed several OF
High Points oldest citizens, who
knew something of tho history
of the road. :
Miss Hamilton's essay fol
lows:
''The biggest undertaking in
North Carolina about the year
1848 or 1850 was the construc-
ton of a plank road between
Fayetteville and Salem.
"The road near Fayetteville
was built out of pine and gave
out before the entire road was
completed.
"The laborers worked for
about so cents a day and board
ed themselves. But they en-
ioyed life then. They had some
good fddles, violinists were not
known. They had some good
times in their camps.
latter the ground for the
road had been cleared the string
ers were laid down in zigzag
fashion so that the ends we're
uneven. This was done in order
to help the loaded wagons to get
back on the planks. The story
is told of a preacher whof on
leaving the plank road to go
into camp ground, mired in the
mud. His four horses would not
pull him out. Some of the men
standing by told him to .'cuss'
them. He told them he did not
know what to say and one Of the
men said he and twelve" so
the preacher said he and thir-
teen The hroses pulled him
ut.
"The stringers were about 16
feet long, four inches wide and
three inches thick. The planks
were laid on the stringers and
the exposed ends OF the string
ers were covered on each side
with, dirt.
"Haulers going up hill were
entitled to all road, but on level
ground each had to give half the
road. Along the road there were
places known as pay stations.
They we're placed anywhere from
six to eight miles apart.
"For a carriage and one-horse
wagon toll of three cents a
mile was charged and four-horse
wagons five cents. One pay sta
ton was at Union Cross, another
at the corner or Howell and Main
streets, where the Lutheran
church is being erected and a
third beyond Springfield. These
pay station were built out over
the road and the collectors and
their families lived in them. The
women were n charge of the toll
gates.
seThe men who drove the
teams on the road received 81
for drive of 100 miles.
'sThe people from Forsyth.
Surry, Stokes, Wilkes, Davie and
Yadkin counties hauled their
products to Fayetteville, which
was the nearest shipping point.
There they bought their sup
plies. All wagons passed through
High Point which at that time
was only a small, village.
ct is said that having the
plank road through here caused
the. railroad company to contract
q railroad into High Point. The
original survey took the road
about 16 miles south of the city.
Governor Morehead, who was
then governor of North Carolina,
succeeded with the aid of cit1-
zens, in getting the railroad con-
structed through Greensboro
and High Point, After compile
ton of. the railroad, the wagons
from the western counties stop
ped here instead Of going to Fay
etteville. thus bringing trade
here. From that time High
Point began to steadily grow.
"Tne plank road had been built