UNIT III - TEACHER SHEET

Objectives:

Materials:

Background:

Travel along the National Road was aided by the placement of mile markers and the construction of bridges. Mile markers were used to inform travelers how far they had come or how far they had to go. These originally were made from stone and were placed every five miles along the National Road. In 1833, mile markers were replaced with cast-iron markers manufactured in Brownsville and Connellsville, Pennsylvania. These were placed every mile between Cumberland and Wheeling.

The National Road also contained some important bridges. In 1814, the Casselman Bridge was constructed in Grantsville, Maryland. At the time, this was the largest single span stone arch bridge in the nation. Another well known bridge was the Great Crossings Bridge, a three arch bridge across the Youghiogheny River. This bridge was built in 1818 in Somerfield (then called Smithfield), Pennsylvania, and now lies at the bottom of a reservoir. The Dunlap's Creek Bridge, in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, was the nation's first cast-iron bridge. Built in 1839, it cost about $40,000 to build and can still be crossed today.

"S" bridges were also encountered along the road. They were built with the center portion crossing the river or stream at a right angle and the ends curving to meet the road at either end. Many tales such as the following circulated about why these bridges were built this way: (1) They were actually "Z" shaped and designed to honor Ebenezer Zane; (2) They saved having to cut down large trees by the rivers and streams; (3) They were designed to stop runaway horses; and, (4) They were built on a dare to see if an engineer could build an "S" - shaped bridge.

The real reason these were so built was that the cheapest and easiest bridge to build was one that went straight across a river or stream at a right angle so that flowing water would meet the least amount of resistance, and so erosion of the bridge stones could be reduced. Thus, a river running parallel to the road could be crossed the easiest by building a bridge squarely in the water and curving the approaches to meet it from the road, thus producing the "S" - shape.

Another feature of the National Road was the tollhouses. In the 1830’s, the federal government found it increasingly difficult to maintain the National Road, so after repairing it, the government gave the road to the states through which it ran. The states built tollhouses along the road to collect money for road maintenance. Pennsylvania took over its portion in 1835 and built six tollhouses. Placed 15 miles apart, travelers were required to pay at each toll gate.

The tollhouses in Pennsylvania and Maryland were of octagonal design with back rooms and were made from either brick or stone. The tollkeeper, along with his or her family, lived in the tollhouse and was always on duty. Toll gates were erected in front of the tollhouses to keep travelers from passing without paying.

The tolls were prominently displayed outside the tollhouses. Tolls were collected to repair the road, and the rates were charged in proportion to the amount of wear to the road caused by each animal or vehicle. Free use of the National Road was allowed for public worship, militia muster, and for funeral purposes. Also, school children, clergy, and the US mail traveled for free. An Activity Sheet in this unit contains toll rates levied.

Supplemental Activities:

Relevant Site Information:

Activity Answers:

Unit III A

1. 3 cents
   7 cents - horse and rider at 4 cents + extra horse at 3 cents
   60 cents - 20 cattle at 12 cents times 5
   18 cents - carriage with 4" wheels with 2 horses at 12 + 2 extra horses at 6 cents
   13 cents - wagon and 1 horse at 4 cents and 3 extra horses at 9 cents
   18 cents - carriage with 2 horses at 12 cents + 2 extra horses at 6 cents
2. 2. They act as rollers to press and flatten the road surface.
3. 24 cents - 4 cents times 6 tollhouses

Unit III B

1. 52 miles
   41 miles = 52 miles - 11 miles
   79 miles
   131 miles = 52 miles + 79 miles Smithfield and Uniontown
2. Cumberland and Wheeling were the beginning and end points of the original National Road and major cities.

Unit student information Activity A Activity B