From Indian Path to Highway Marker

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Stafford in Stafford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

From Indian Path to Highway

By Kevin White, August 28, 2007

1. From Indian Path to Highway Marker

Inscription. In 1664, a colonial road here probably followed the trace of an old Indian path. Two years later, the road was extended to Aquia Creek. It became a post road in 1750, and in Sept. 1781 Gen. George Washington passed over it on the march to Yorktown. By 1900, a crude dirt road followed this route. The 1914 American Automobile Association Blue Book described it as mostly “very poor and dangerous; should not be attempted except in dry weather.” By 1925, auto camps and cabins, the predecessors of auto courts and motels, stood at frequent intervals along present-day U.S. Route 1 between Washington, D.C., and Richmond.

Erected 1998 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-50.)

Location. 38° 24.164′ N, 77° 25.252′ W. Marker is in Stafford, Virginia, in Stafford County. Marker is on Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. Rt 1), on the right when traveling south. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Stafford VA 22554, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. Trooper Jessica Jean Cheney (approx. 0.8 miles away); Stafford County Tri-Centennial (approx. 1.5 miles away); In Honor of Those Who Served (approx. 1.5 miles away); In Memory of the Oklahoma City tragedy (approx. 1.5 miles away); In Memory of September 11, 2001 (approx. 1.5 miles away); Brooke, Virginia (approx. 2.4 miles away); Marlborough (approx. 2.5 miles away); Kidnapping of Pocahontas (approx. 2.5 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Stafford.

By Kevin White, August 28, 2007

2. From Indian Path to Highway Marker

More about this marker. This marker replaced one with the same number but titled “Indian Trail” erected in the late 1920s or early 1930s that read, “Here ran the original Indian trail. In 1664 a road was opened here and in 1666 it was extended to Aquia Creek. In 1750 this became a post road. In September, 1781, Washington passed over this road on the way to Yorktown, and over it the French army later marched north.”

Also see . . . What Route 1 was like in 1919. A picture postcard from the Prince William Public Library System Digital Library. Caption of postcard is: This is how it was in 1919 for travelers between Richmond and Washington along what later was to become US Route 1. Shown is the Dumfries area in Prince William County... (Submitted on August 28, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

Credits. This page originally submitted on August 28, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 972 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 28, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.