The Republican., 1925-06-25
THE CUMBERLAND ROAD
A Little History of Early Date and Importance
of the Old National Highway Through West
ern Maryland Pioneers Builded Well


road from Cumberland, through the
Narrows and across the mountains,
to the Ohio River at Wheeling; con-
struction followed as soon as prac-
ticable thereafter, but was nearly
stopped by the war of 1912. Work
was resumed in 1916, and the road
was opened to Wheeling in 1918, hav-
ing been built that far during the ad-
ministration of Jefferson, Madison
and Monroe
The Commission for laying out and
constructing the road appointed by
Mr. Jefferson, was composed of Eli
Williams and Thomas Moore of Mary
land, and Joseph Kerr of Ohio.
Eli Williams the president of the
Commission, was father-in-law to
Chief Justice John Buchanan, and
brother of General Otho Holland Will
liams. He was the first Clerk of the
Circuit Court for Washington county.
While the federal government as
sumed authority to construct this
road under the clause of the consti-
tuition empowering it to establish post
roads, the principal motive OF its con-
struction was political. 1t was a con-
tinUation Of Washington's policy to
unite the settlements west Of the
Allegany Mountains with the Atlantic
seaboard by the strong bands of COM
merce. This purpose was expressed
by the congressional committee to
which the bill TO establish the Cum
berland Road was referred, which, in
reporting the bill in 1906, said: To
enlarge upon the highway important
considerations Of cementing the
Union Of our citizens located on the
western waters with those of the
Atlantic states, would be an indeli-
cacy offered to the understandings Of
the body to whom this report is ad-
dressed, as it might seem to distrust
them; but from the interesting ma
tune Of the subject the committee is
induced to ask the indulgence of a
single observation. Politicians have
generally agreed that rivers unite the
interests and promote the friendship
Of Jh9se who inhablt their banks;
while mountains, on the contrary,
tend to dis-union and enlargement of
those who are separated by their in
teryention. In the present case, to
make the crooked ways straight, ard
the rough ways smooth Will, III effect,
remove the intervening mountains,
and by facilitating the intercourse
Of oIr western brethren with those Of
the Atlantic, substantially unite them
in interests, which, the committee be-
Hevea, is the most ettectual cement of
union applicable to the human race"
\ distinguished speaker, in show
ing how well the road subserved, said
1T carried thousands of population
and millions Of wealth into the West;
and more than any other material
stIuctW in the land. served to har-
moni&e and strengthen, if not to save
the Union" Albert Gallatin in his
report TO the Senate, said: "No
other single operation within the
power yf the Government can more
etfecJually tend to strengthen and
pelpetua,e the Union"
Albert Gal.atin has been called the
father Of the road. John c. Calhoun
and Henry Clay were both earnest
supporters Of the enterprise. Perhaps
no single man is entitled to the entire
credit Of the policy.
The foundation of this road" de-
clared Hon. Andrew Stewart, Of
Pennsylvania, in speech in Congress
in 1929, was laid by report made
by Nr. Giles, the present governor
Of Virginia, in 1902, and was sane
toned at the next session by SINH
lar report, made by another distin-
guished Nirginian, (Mr. Randolph
now member Of this House-it was
the offspring Of Virginia, and we
hope she will not now abandon It
as illegitimate. Commenced under
the administration of Mr.. Jefferson,
it had been sanctioned and prosecuted
by every president, and by almost
every Congress for more than a quar-
ter Of a century. Possessing the DOW
er how, he asked, could any repre-
sentative Of the interior or western
portions of the Union vote against a
policy SO essential to the prosperity
of the people who sent him here to
guard their rights and advance their
interests? The right of this Govern
ment to construct such roads and
canals as are necessary to carry into
effect its mail, military and commer-
clal powers, was as clear and un-
doubted as the right TO build the
postotflce, construct the forts, or
erect lighthouse. In every point of
view the cases were precisely similar
and were sustained and justified by
INC same power.
In the act admitting Ohio in 1902.
tlve per cent Of the net revenues de-
rived by the general Governmen.
from the sale of public lands within
that State was reserved and declared
to be separate fund for the build
ing OF roads, two per cent of which
should be appropriated to roads lead
ing to Ohio and three per cert on
roads within the State.
The appropriation for opening the
road, was taken from this reserve
fund arising from the sale of lands
in Ohio. And this policy of creating
a reserve fund of five per cent or
more for road purposes was after
wards applied to seven of the So
called public land" States. Illinois
asked that each alternate section be
reserved for building roads, and this
was endorsed by Mr.. Lincoln in a
speech in Congress.
This Ohio fund was continually
used for the building of this road
from Cumberland to Wheeling. Vir-
glnla, for thirteen years, up to March
3, 1919, at which time the appropria-
tlon was made from the reserve fund
created upon the admission of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois.
On May Is, 1920, Congress passed
an act extending the road from