Near Myersville in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The National Road
The Road That Built The Nation
— The Historic National Road - The Road That Built The Nation —
Photographed By Christopher Busta-Peck, March 2, 2008
1. The National Road Marker
Inscription.
The National Road. The Road That Built The Nation.
“…so many happy people, restless in the midst of abundance.” , , Alexis de Tocqueville, 1840.
, Americans are an adventurous people. From past to present, they have used feet, horses, wagons, stagecoaches, canals, railroads, bicycles, automobiles, trucks and buses to “perpetually change their plans and abodes.” , Centuries ago, George Washington dreamed of a highway joining east and west. In 1806, Thomas Jefferson made that roadway a reality when he risked his Presidency by authorizing, “an Act to regulate the laying out and making [of] a road from Cumberland in the State of Maryland to the State of Ohio.” , The next generation built that “United States Road,” a thirty-foot wide, crushed stone thoroughfare that spanned rivers, traversed mountains and opened up America’s western frontier to the Mississippi. Merchants, traders and families from all over the world journeyed along this route in their quest to claim land, expand markets and form new lives. , Today, you can trace that same path along the Historic National Road. Discover the places, events and stories that shaped this nation. To have your own adventure, stop by any Welcome Center or local visitor center to speak to a travel counselor and pick up a Historic National Road map-guide. , (sidebar) Built in the early 1800s, a paved highway west was America’s first federal project. Much of the approximately 800 mile long National Road is still marked by historic milestones.
“…so many happy people, restless in the midst of abundance.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville, 1840.
Americans are an adventurous people. From
past to present, they have used feet, horses,
wagons, stagecoaches, canals, railroads,
bicycles, automobiles, trucks and buses to
“perpetually change their plans and abodes.”
Centuries ago, George Washington dreamed of
a highway joining east and west. In 1806,
Thomas Jefferson made that roadway a reality
when he risked his Presidency by authorizing,
“an Act to regulate the laying out and making
[of] a road from Cumberland in the State of
Maryland to the State of Ohio.”
The next generation built that “United States
Road,” a thirty-foot wide, crushed stone
thoroughfare that spanned rivers, traversed
mountains and opened up America’s western
frontier to the Mississippi. Merchants, traders
and families from all over the world journeyed
along this route in their quest to claim land,
expand markets and form new lives.
Today, you can trace that same path along the
Historic National Road. Discover the places,
events and stories that shaped this nation. To
have your own adventure, stop by any Welcome
Center or local visitor center to speak to a travel
counselor and pick up a Historic National Road
map-guide.
(sidebar)
Click or scan to see this page online
Built in the early 1800s, a paved highway west was America’s first federal project. Much of the approximately 800 mile long National Road is still marked by historic milestones.
Location. 39° 31.61′ N, 77° 36.252′ W. Marker is near Myersville, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker is on Interstate 70. This marker is located in the I-70 East rest area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Myersville MD 21773, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Christopher Busta-Peck, March 2, 2008
2. National Road, Gettysburg, and Antietam markers
sectionhead>More about this marker. The marker displays a picture of a family standing beside an early 20th Century car along the National Road. Captioned: “Are we there yet? These early 20th century travelers speak to all of us who at one time or another couldn’t wait to get out of the car. Today, we have the luxury of taking our modern interstates for granted. But who can’t relate to those faces?”
The marker also has a map showing the general path of the National Road from Baltimore to St. Louis. And uses the background “The National Road at Fairview Inn,” which is standard for this marker series. An elevation diagram of the national road is displayed on the bottom of the marker's face.
Regarding The National Road. This is a standard informational marker often used along the National Road in Maryland and is duplicated at other locations.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 914 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 2, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio.