Known as the main street of America, the National Road was authorized by Congress in 1806. It began in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1811, extending an earlier route from Baltimore. Construction in Ohio began in 1825 and reached Springfield in 1838. By act of Congress, mile markers appeared at one-mile intervals on the north side of the road, each stone showing the distance to Cumberland, Maryland, at the top center and on the sides the name and mileage to the nearest city eastbound and westbound. After the road reached the western edge of Springfield, disputes about the route delayed further construction for 10 years, and Springfield became known as the town at the end of the pike.
