Near Wheeler in Lee County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fulfilling the Dream
| | Cumberland Gap National Historical Park | |
September 28, 2022
1. Fulfilling the Dream Marker
If roads could talk, the one you are on would have many tales to tell. From buffalo trace to Warriors Path, Wilderness Road, Dixie Highway, U.S. Highway 25E, and back again to the Wilderness Road it has come almost full circle over the past two centuries.
Since the conception of the park back in the 1920s, some had dreamed of restoring the historic trail through the Gap; 80 years later, their dream was realized. Recreating the 1780s Wilderness Road took years of fieldwork and research which included referencing an 1833 survey and an 1862 Civil War-era map.
I am listening to the tread of the oncoming millions
- U.S. Senator Henry Clay, standing in the Gap in 1850, predicting the flow of humanity to the west
(captions)
Note the Daughters of the American Revolution pyramid in this photo taken in 2001 and compare it to its location in the 1930s photo. Extensive road restoration included filling in more than 200,000 cubic yards of fill dirt to raise the roadbed to its 18th century contour, and planting tens of thousands of trees.
U.S. Highway 25E over Cumberland Gap was a dangerous road. In 1973 Public Law 93-87 directed the National Park Service to build tunnels through Cumberland Mountain (above) to remove traffic from the Gap. Since opening in 1996, the tunnels carry more than 11 million vehicles annually.
Erected by National
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.
Location. 36° 36.084′ N, 83° 39.755′ W. Marker is near Wheeler, Virginia, in Lee County. It can be reached from North Cumberland Road (Route 872) 0.3 miles north of Wilderness Road (U.S. 58), on the right when traveling north. Marker is a wayside exhibit on the Wilderness Road Trail, most readily accessible from the Daniel Boone Visitor Information Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1007 Wilderness Rd Trail, Ewing VA 24248, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Abundance of Wild Beasts (about 800 feet away); Warriors and Traders (about 800 feet away); In Search of Food (about 800 feet away); Harrow School (approx. 0.2 miles away in Tennessee); Boone Trail Highway Marker (approx. 0.2 miles away in Tennessee); Cumberland Gap Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away in Tennessee); Gap Cave (approx. Ό mile away).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2022. This page has been viewed 269 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on October 12, 2022. Photos: 1. submitted on October 2, 2022. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
