The Historic National Road was the nation's first federally funded interstate highway, opening the nation to the west and becoming a corridor for the movement of goods and people. It reflected the vision of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Gallatin, and its original path ran from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, Virginia, later extending to Vandalia, Illinois. Although the West Virginia section is the shortest, it remains the most faithful to the original route. Congress authorized the road in 1806, construction began in 1811, and it reached Wheeling in 1818 despite interruption by the War of 1812 with the British. Construction to Wheeling averaged about $13,000 per mile compared with an original estimate of $6,000 per mile. The eastern section from Cumberland to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, cost $9,745 per mile, while the western section from Uniontown to Wheeling rose to about $16,000 per mile, in part because cheap local stone for construction was unavailable. Restored historic mile markers on the north side of the road preserve the wayfinding system used by early travelers, showing distances to Wheeling, Cumberland, and the nearest local town.

Photo: Bradley Owen

Valley Grove, West Virginia · USA