The National Road: America’s First Gateway Across the Appalachians
Connecting East and West
When most people think of iconic American highways, Route 66 often comes to mind. But nearly a century before that famous road, another monumental project changed the nation: the National Road. Constructed in 1810, it was the first gravel-paved highway to cross the Appalachian Mountains, linking Ohio and the growing western frontier with the Eastern seaboard.
Overcoming Natural Barriers…