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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Near Grantsville in Garrett County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

The National Pike

Spruce Forest Artisan Village History Walk

 
 
The National Pike Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 17, 2020
1. The National Pike Marker
Inscription. In 1806 Congress authorized and funded the construction of a National Road from Cumberland, MD to the Ohio River at Wheeling, WV. This National Road, also known as the National Pike or Cumberland Road, was our nation's first highway and truly the "gateway to the west."

During the Golden Age of "The Pike", 1842-1852, traffic on the road was immense. Up to fourteen stagecoaches per day, each way, used the road to carry passengers as far as the western frontier. Three daily mail coaches, each way, ran between Cumberland, MD and Uniontown, PA, with regular stops to change horses at Frostburg, Keyser's Ridge and Addison. Traffic on the road included not only stagecoaches, freighters and Conestogas, but also droves of cattle, sheep, pigs and turkeys.

Public inns, legally known as Ordinaries, flanked the highway, about one per mile. Three of the finest inns are local and have been preserved to this day. Little Crossings Inn, now Penn Alps Restaurant, is a prime log structure thought to be the only remaining one of its kind on the road. The Casselman Hotel in Grantsville is a fine hand-burned brick building. Tomlinson's stately Stone House Inn is located several miles east on The Pike. Little Crossings Inn and Tomlinson's served largely as stagecoach stops, while the Casselman was well equipped for drovers, with a large
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corral nearby.

Congressional appropriations for the National Road continued until 1835, when the states assumed control and erected toll gates and mileage posts. From 1852 to 1912, railroads gained dominance and The Pike declined. Stagecoaches and mail coaches stopped running about 1907. However, the advent of the automobile brought new life. Today, The Pike, along with the two parallel roads and bridges at Little Crossing, tells the story of westward expansion and regional development.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceRoads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the The Historic National Road series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1806.
 
Location. 39° 41.811′ N, 79° 8.537′ W. Marker is near Grantsville, Maryland, in Garrett County. Marker can be reached from Casselman Road, 0.2 miles west of National Pike (Alternate U.S. 40). Located in Spruce Village Artisan Village. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Grantsville MD 21536, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West (a few steps from this marker); Casselman River Bridge State Park (a few steps from this marker); The Miller House (a few steps from this marker); Compton School (a few steps from this marker);
The National Pike Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 17, 2020
2. The National Pike Marker
Glotfelty House (a few steps from this marker); The Original Tombstone of Solomon Glotfelty (within shouting distance of this marker); Castleman’s River Bridge / The Little Crossings (within shouting distance of this marker); Winterburg House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grantsville.
 
Also see . . .  Wikipedia article on the Old National Pike. (Submitted on June 28, 2015, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2015, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 627 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

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Mar. 28, 2024