In the 19th century, thousands moved west along the National Road seeking a better life, and many settled in western Indiana, where rich soil, timber, and fresh water supported verdant fields, fine houses, and prosperous farms. Indiana’s abundant natural resources made it more than a through route, attracting pioneers who made the state their home, and within a generation many families were comfortably established in an agricultural landscape that produced grain, vegetables, and livestock for eastern markets via the National Road. Rising Hall was one of many stylish residences that lined the road and reflects Indiana’s prosperous farming era through its Italianate-style architecture and surrounding landscape. In the 1920s, the automobile revived the National Road as cars and trucks spurred the creation of paved federal highways, and in 1926 the old road became U.S. Route 40, a transcontinental highway from Atlantic City, NJ, to San Francisco, CA. Gas stations, diners, and motels brought a new era of prosperity, and until the 1970s, with the completion of Interstate 70, U.S. 40 remained one of the country’s primary east-west routes. The National Road played a significant role in the development of the United States, and in 2002 the U.S. Secretary of Transportation designated the Historic National Road from Maryland to Illinois an All-American Road. Indiana continues working to preserve its part of this corridor, including structures and landscapes such as the restored 1841 Huddleston Farmhouse in Cambridge City, while the H&C Studebaker blacksmith shop, which became the Studebaker Manufacturing Company in 1868, grew into the world’s largest wagon manufacturer and later successfully transitioned from horse-drawn vehicles to electric and gasoline-powered cars.