Along the Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike, also known as the old National Pike, stone mile markers denoted the distance to Baltimore. One surviving marker near the bottom of the hill once bore the hand-chiseled inscription "35 M to B," meaning 35 miles to Baltimore. This practice of carving mileage in stone dated back more than 2000 years to Roman road builders and continued in 19th century America. Forty-five such markers were placed one mile apart between Baltimore and Frederick, primarily on the north side of the road. For weary travelers moving slowly by horse-drawn carriage or wagon, especially heavily laden wagons that often covered only a few miles a day, these mile stones were a welcome sight. Though built for permanence, many were displaced by road improvements made for modern travel, and only a few remain in their original locations. This stretch of the National Pike once bustled with merchants and farmers hauling raw materials and farm products eastward to market, and early traveler James Buckingham recalled fellow passengers who were farmers, country-dealers, and speculators, traveling from town to town in a spirit of mutual forbearance and good nature.