Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-04-19
HISTORIC OLD Pike
IN MASON COUNTY
(By Associated Press)

stands paramount in its histori-
cal interest to the state, there IS
another road in Eastern Kentuc
ky-the old Maysville pike-that
stands but little back Of the first
in historical interest. The Mays
vilel pike extends from this city
to Maysville and consists OF
many miles of macadam and as
phalt roadway.
The road now known as the
Observation-Disclosures pike. had
its inception in an old Buffalo
trace over which thousands OF
buffalo made their annual trip to
the famous salt ticks in the hills
back Of Maysville. A deep gully
through which countless bison
made this trip still may be seen.
This buffalo trace was gradu-
ally worn into a trail by cxpedi-
! tions of warning Indian tribes
from the northwest into Kentuc-
ky and long before the blazing
of a road by white men. a well
! defined path led from the Ohio
river up over the hills of Blue
Lick.
{ The growth Of the settlements
in Central Kentucky an dthe i'm
portance of the Ohio river as a
i thoroughfarc together with the
necessity Of and route to carry
freight to the interior Of the
state brought about the construc
ton of the road.
| The act authorizing the build
ing of the Maysville pike was
approved May II, 1876, when
permission was granted Ebene-
ger Zane to build the road. AS
sisted by his brother. Jonathan
and son-in-law. John Mcintyre
Zane followed the old Mingo
trail across southern Ohio, pass
ing through Perry, Fairfield,
Pickaway, Ross. Richland, Ad-
ans. and Brown counties. cross
ing the Ohio river at Aberdeen
to what was then known as Lime
stone, but later was changed to
Maysville. The Maysville pike
originally began at GAINESVILLE
Ohio, and ended at Florence. Ala.
and old signposst giving the dis
lance from these two points tsill
are posted along the pike. The
road was first known as Zanc'5
trace but later became known as
the Maysville pike.
With the completion of the
! pike a government mail service
was started. The MaysvilIe pike
lis considered unique among
American highways in origin and
point of historical interest. 1t
became household word in 1896
when President Jackson vetoed
the bill refusing federal aid for
, the construction Of the road.
The toll gate systems were in
stalled i'll 1882 when the pike wa
completed. There were twelve
Of these gates between MaysviIle
and Lexington. The first. known
as the old Newdigate tollgate. is
still standing. Toll charges rang
ed from IS cents vehicle up. de
pending on the number of horses
attached.
The tollgate system was CON
tined until 1890 when agitation
against the system stirred the
state. resulting in the traders
war in 1897 and 1S9S,' at which
. time tollgate keepers were threat
ened. tollhouses burned and 9th
or demonstrations made. At this
time the pike was owned BY the
MaySville Lexington Turnpike
Company Of which Col. w. w.
Baldwin, of Mason county. was
president. The road was sold to
Mason county in May, 1893, bv
Col. Baldwin for $4,000. and S.
400 for loss Of tolls for the wear
preceding. Nicholas, Bourbon
and other counties through which
1t ran in turn bought out the
company and by the end of 1893
the tollgate was permanently
abolished in the state.
The towns along the Maysville
pike are OF almost as much inter
est as the pike itself. 1t passes
through Washington Ky. where
the first newspaper in the north
west was published, where Gen.
Albert Sidney Johnston was born
and reared and the house where
the birth of "Uncle Toms Cabin"
took place. In the old cemetery
just off the pike at Washington
the parents of Chief Justice Mar
shall are buried as are hundreds
of other Kentucky pioneer
around whose names are linked
thrilling narratives in Collins
HictnrX- Of X a,,4,1c1-,,