Greenup

Greenup. Rails and Trails. He was a man of vision. When William C. Greenup co-founded this village in 1834, the land around it was wilderness. But as Illinois Superintendent of the National Road, Greenup saw tremendous potential in the area adjacent to America's highway., The road Greenup helped to construct became a corridor for American culture, politics and trade. But its glory was short-lived. By 1850, a new road was coming. The National Road's claim to the fastest route between East and West was about to end. , Age of Steam, For generations, the nation moved by coach, wagon and water. In the 1850s, America turned its attention to rail. Speed, convenience, and reliability made steam locomotives the preferred means of travel. , With the rise of railroads, traffic on the National Road dwindled. The road the built a nation suffered from neglect, and fell into disrepair. , Automobiles Hit The Road, Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile, but he did make it affordable. By 1919, there were more than 7.5 million vehicles in America. With the growing number of drivers came a national push for better roads., In 1926, the National Road became part of US 40, a transcontinental highway that stretched from Atlantic City, N.J., to San Franciso, Calif. By 1940, US 40 had become a well-marked, all-weather highway still in use today., (Photo captions:), The St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad reached Greenup in 1868. The Grayville and Mattoon line followed in 1872., Preparing the National Road for paving east of Greenup about 1920., (aside:), A Road of Dirt, Rock, And Dreams, In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation to provide federal funding for a National Road. Surveyed from Cumberland, Md., to the Mississippi River, the National Road was a highway for pioneers eager to settle the West., Today, as US 40, the National Road in Illinois spans 164 miles. From Indiana to East St. Louis, you can still see how the ambitions and accomplishments of early Illinois immigrants shaped our communities. You'll find their influence in our art and architecture, our industry and agriculture, and in our way of life. Enjoy your time on the Road.