The National Road

Having lived entirely in the South, I had never heard of the National Road until I read about it in Betty Gordon and the Hale Twins. This is one of the reasons I love series books; I am always learning something new. As Uncle Dick, Betty, and Bob travel on the National Road, Uncle Dick tells them about it:

"I doubt if many Americans know that the National Road is one of the greatest wagon roads in the world and was, at one time, the most widely known and heavily traveled road in the United States. In the old days, before the time of the 'steam king,' the coachman, blowing his bugle at every town, would dash up to the tavern, handling his four matched horses with masterly art. He would bring the latest gossip from the east or the news from the west while the teams were changing, then he would dash away over the mountains to the next tavern. Of course the stage-coach driver was a romantic figure to all children."

Uncle Dick goes on to explain that the road was planned to run from Cumberland, Maryland, to St. Louis, passing through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, but that the western part of the road was never finished.

On page 44:

"Oh, look!" exclaimed Betty. "What are those queer, little octagonal houses, Bob? I've noticed a number of them along the way."

"I've been wondering myself," replied Bob.

"Those are toll-houses," Richard Gordon explained. "In the olden days when the National Road was in the height of its power and glory, these toll-houses, supplied with strong iron gates swung to massive iron posts, were located about fifteen miles apart to enforce the payment of tolls for the upkeep of the National Road. A few of these toll-houses, relics of olden times, remain and are now kept up by the D. A. R."

This was all very interesting to me. I found some information about the National Road on several websites, including the National Road Heritage Corridor. I also found pictures of couple of the toll houses on this page of that site.