Cheat Bridge in Randolph County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Guarding the Turnpike

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 8, 2012

1. Guarding the Turnpike Marker

Inscription. Federal forces built Cheat Summit Fort to control the strategic Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, the road below you. It ran from Virginia to Parkersburg, (West) Virginia. When finished, the turnpike opened the first continuous route between Richmond and the Ohio River. The road was originally chartered in 1817, but would not be completed until 1847. Today U.S. 250 and WV Route 47 roughly follow its path.

Further east along the turnpike, Confederates constructed Camps Bartow and Allegheny. They hoped to deny the Union easy access to the Shenandoah Valley. On clear days, soldiers at Cheat Summit could see the campfire smoke of the enemy over twenty miles away on Allegheny Mountain.

Erected by US Forest Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1817.

Location. 38° 37.367′ N, 79° 52.76′ W. Marker is in Cheat Bridge, West Virginia, in Randolph County. It can be reached from White Top Road (County Route 245) 1.1 miles west of U.S. 250, on the right when traveling west. Located at Cheat Summit Fort (Fort Milroy). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Huttonsville WV 26273, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands.

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 territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are

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within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Astride the Road from Nowhere (here, next to this marker); Cabin Remains (within shouting distance of this marker); Behind the Parapet (within shouting distance of this marker); Cheat Summit Fort (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Shavers Fork (approx. 0.8 miles away); Cheat Summit Camp (approx. 0.9 miles away); Asa Gray / Buffalo-Indian Trail (approx. one mile away); Cheat Mountain (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cheat Bridge.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 8, 2012

2. Guarding the Turnpike Marker

Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike road trace image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 8, 2012

3. Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike road trace

Credits. This page was last revised on November 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 891 times since then and 21 times this year. Last updated on November 2, 2024, by Mark P. Brock-Cancellieri of Baltimore, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 10, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.