Historic National Road / Make History, Drive It

Historic National Road, also, Make History, Drive It. The Road That Built The Nation. , An Important Road , The National Road is a true American icon, conceived by George Washington, authorized by Thomas Jefferson, and traveled by Abraham Lincoln., In 1806 construction of the National Road was approved by the US Congress to open the western interior of a young nation to commerce and settlement. It was America's first federally funded interstate highway, extending from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling on the Ohio River. The road was so important that Congress authorized its extension into Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois in 1824 to link the capitals of the new states. The road reached Indiana in 1827., An Early Road Of Opportunity , During its heyday in Indiana (1830-1850), travelers flooded the National Road. It provided a convenient route to markets both east and west. Blacksmith shops and taverns sprung up along the road to serve the diversity of travelers. Stagecoaches bringing letters, newspapers, and cash supported the booming economy and carried the correspondence of happy accomplishments, births, and deaths., The trip was often unpleasant-wagon axles deep in mud, clothes wet, and backs aching from the rough ride. Stagecoaches, carriages, and wagons vied for space alongside foot travelers, noisy cattle, hogs, and geese., As faster and more reliable transportation options became available with the expansion of the nation's rail and canal networks in the 1850s, road traffic decreased. Like many other roads, the National Road fell into a state of disrepair. Although it was no longer the great road west, the legacy of the road would not soon be forgotten.,

"Good roads and canals will shorten the distances, facilitate commercial and personal intercourse, and unite, by a still more intimate community of interests, the most remote corners of the United States." , -Abert Gallatin, Secretary of the US Treasury 1808

, National Road Advocates , Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the US Treasury presents the plan for a national system of roads and canals to President Thomas Jefferson April 4, 1808 Painting by Carl Rakeman, Founding Father , George Washington was concerned about the ability of the newly established United States to secure its vast western frontier from competing European interests. He believed that the construction of a national road would strengthen commercial ties and provide military access., Linking State Capitals , Indiana's first state capitol building in Indianapolis on the National Road circa 1840., Building Bridges , The National Road crossing the White Water Rover in Richmond Indiana. By 1847 the National Road in Richmond, and most of the state, had not been completed Noting that it was a useless waste of time to await the action of the government" an editorial in the Richmond Palladium, 23 March 1847, called on the citizens of Wayne County to hold a meeting "for the purpose of devising 1 means to ensure the completion of the road.", Legacy of Prosperity , Well-appointed farm along the National Road in Plainfield Indiana., The Auto Age , The automobile revived the National Road in the 1920s. As cars and trucks took to the road, the federal government established a nationwide network of paved, all-weather highways. The old National Road was one of the first routes designated under the new federal highway numbering system in 1926-US Route 40, a transcontinental highway from Atlantic City, NJ, to San Francisco, CA. Once again, the road gave rise to new opportunities. Like the blacksmith shops and taverns of the past, gas stations, diners, and motels ushered in a new era of prosperity. Until the 1970s, with the completion of Interstate 70, US 40 was one of the country's primary east-west routes., The Modern Road , The National Road has played a significant role in the development of the United States. To honor this distinction, in 2002 the US Secretary of Transportation designated the Historic National Road from Maryland to Illinois an All-American Road. Indiana is actively working to preserve its segment of the road, structures, and landscapes along this historic corridor. Today the road continues to beckon travelers like you as it has for more than 200 years. Welcome to Indiana!, New and Improved , Soon after the turn of the 20th century Americans abandoned their horses, carts, and interurban rail cars for the independence afforded by the automobile. Old rutted roads like the National Road were paved new services established and the modern transportation era began., Where Service Never Stops , The modern National Road US Route 40 provided essential services for travelers around the clock., National Road Landmark , Restored by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana the 1841 Huddeston Farmhouse in Cambridge City a popular stopping place for supplies on the old road continues to welcome visitors along the National Road., The Modern Conestoga Wagon , The H and C Studebaker blacksmith shop became the Studebaker Manufacturing Company in 1868. Indiana-based Studebaker would eventually become the largest wagon manufacturer in the world Studebaker introduced an electric car in 1902 and a gasoline powered car in 1904, becoming the only manufacturer to successfully make the transition from horse-drawn to gasoline-powered vehicles.