The National Road

The National Road was the country’s first major road to be built with Federal funds. It allowed numerous settlers to travel overland through the Appalachian mountains to the Ohio River in the early 1800s, from where they would then travel onward by flatboat or wagon to locations in the Northwest Territory. Eventually it was extended to Vandalia, IL, although this book is concerned only with the first phase. It long remained an important link between the Ohio country and the east coast for mail and freight. This small book with many maps and photos was a guide for tourists in the early 20th century, traveling by auto on the National Road from Baltimore to Wheeling, WV.