Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
CountyHad Early Tradition
OfGOOd Roads, History Says

Lying adjacent to the Nations
Capital, between Washington and
the major cities of the north
and west, Montgomery County
was early biSected by good
roads. In fact the county's road
system was laid out just a year
after the Declaration of indie
pendence was signed.
In 1777 the roads were drafted
and SO 0verseers appointed, each
charged with keeping a section
of the roads operable. Disparag
ing about the conditions of the
roads in 1882 as compared to the
early days, ]. Thomas Scharf in
his History of Western Mary.
land" comments:
Ear more attention appears
to have been given by the people
of Montgomery in early times to
the improvement of the public
roads than is frequently bestow.
ed on them at the present time
by the inhabitants of some of the
counties. 1t was not unusual for
the overSeers to be fined for
neglect of duty"
Even before public highways
were planned. planters created
their own rolling roads. These
cleared, trampled paths were
formed by tobacco hogsheads, a
sapling shaft attached at each
end, being dragged from farm to
warehouse or shipping point.
Later, formal roads often fol
lowed these rough paths.
The earliest noted appropria.
ton for the improvement of
transportation routes in the coun-
ty came in ITS. The Levy Court
set aside 100 Pounds for a
bridge over Seneca Creek near
Ludwick Yost's tavern, 100
Pounds for a bridge over Rock
Creek near the Chapel, and 100
Pounds for a bridge over Rock
Creek near Charles Jones' plan
tation.
Two early county roads evolv.
ed from Indian trails: one run.
ming from Washington to Fred.
erick, crossing Seneca Court; and
one running from Sandy Spring
to the Baltimore-Frede Turn.
pike, entering the highway at
Porter'S Tavern.
Between 1884 and 1890 the
Assembly approved legislation
Strengthening and improving four
of the earliest roads in the area:
one from Frederick to George.
town, one from Georgetown to
the mouth of the Monocacy River,
one from the mouth of the
Monocacy to the Montgomery
Court House, and one from the
mouth of Watts Branch to the
Montgomery Court House.
Today's busy Wisconsin Ave
nue. roughly follows the course of
the county's first paved highway
- the Rockville Georgetown
Turnpike constructed under legiS.
lation of 1877.
From then on, progressive
roads began branching to every
part of the county. The Union
Turnpike from Washington to
Brookville opened in mid-century.
A major highway linking Wash.
ington, Colesville and Ashton was
constructed in the 1905. Along
the southeastern edge of the
county the Conduit Road opened
in 1882, following the line of the
Washington Aquaduct r m
Georgetown to the Great Falls
of the Potomac.
From Washington to West.
minister through Brookville
branched the Columbia Road.
The old Baltimore Road from the
Monocacy traverSed the county.
From Georgetown to Whites
Ferry along the Potomac ran the
River Road. Annapolis was link.
ed to the Brookville Turnpike
with a road, intersecting near
Mitchell's Cross Roads.
AS the new roads sprouted to
every corner of the county, new
vistas of trade and pleasure
travel opened for the residents.
AS the reader will note, many of
Montgomery County's dual.lane,
cement.paved superhighways to.
day are built on those early
roads.