The Old Pike Part 3

_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:

The States of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia having, by their several acts consented that the road from c.u.mberland to the State of Ohio, authorized by the act of Congress of March 29, 1806, should pa.s.s through those States, and the report of the commissioners communicated to Congress with my message of January 31, 1807, having been duly considered, I have approved of the route therein proposed for the said road as far as Brownsville, with a single deviation since located, which carries it through Uniontown.

From thence the course to the Ohio, and the point within the legal limits at which it shall strike that river, is still to be decided.

In forming this decision, I shall pay material regard to the interests and wishes of the populous parts of the State of Ohio, and to a future and convenient connection with the road which is to lead from the _Indian_ boundary near Cincinnati, by Vincennes, to the Mississippi, at St. Louis, under authority of the act of April 21, 1806. In this way we may accomplish a continuous and advantageous line of communication from the seat of the General Government to St. Louis, pa.s.sing through several very interesting points, to the Western country.

I have thought it advisable, also, to secure from obliteration the trace of the road so far as it has been approved, which has been executed at such considerable expense, by opening one-half of its breadth through its whole length.

The report of the commissioners herewith transmitted will give particular information of their proceedings under the act of March 29, 1806, since the date of my message of January 31, 1807, and will enable Congress to adopt such further measures, relative thereto, as they may deem proper under existing circ.u.mstances.

TH. JEFFERSON.

FEBRUARY 19, 1808.

The undersigned, commissioners appointed under the law of the United States, ent.i.tled "An act to regulate the laying out and making a road from c.u.mberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio," in addition to the communications heretofore made, beg leave further to report to the President of the United States that, by the delay of the answer of the Legislature of Pennsylvania to the application for permission to pa.s.s the road through that State, the commissioners could not proceed to the business of the road in the spring before vegetation had so far advanced as to render the work of exploring and surveying difficult and tedious, from which circ.u.mstance it was postponed till the last autumn, when the business was again resumed. That, in obedience to the special instructions given them, the route heretofore reported has been so changed as to pa.s.s through Uniontown, and that they have completed the location, gradation and marking of the route from c.u.mberland to Brownsville, Bridgeport, and the Monongahela river, agreeably to a plat of the courses, distances and grades in which is described the marks and monuments by which the route is designated, and which is herewith exhibited; that by this plat and measurement it will appear (when compared with the road now traveled) there is a saving of four miles of distance between c.u.mberland and Brownsville on the new route.

In the gradation of the surface of the route (which became necessary) is ascertained the comparative elevation and depression of different points on the route, and taking a point ten feet above the surface of low water in the Potomac river at c.u.mberland, as the horizon, the most prominent points are found to be elevated as follows, viz.:

Feet. 10ths.

Summit of Wills mountain 581 3 Western foot of same 304 4 Summit of Savage mountain 2022 24 Savage river 1741 6 Summit Little Savage mountain 1900 4 Branch Pine Run, first Western water 1699 9 Summit of Red Hill (after called Shades of Death) 1914 3 Summit Little Meadow mountain 2026 16 Little Youghiogheny river 1322 6 East Fork of Shade Run 1558 92 Summit of Negro mountain, highest point 2328 12 Middle branch of White's creek, at the west foot of Negro mountain 1360 5 White's creek 1195 5 Big Youghiogheny river 645 5 Summit of a ridge between Youghiogheny river and Beaver waters 1514 5 Beaver Run 1123 8 Summit of Laurel Hill 1550 16 Court House in Uniontown 274 65 A point ten feet above the surface of low water in the Monongahela river, at the mouth of Dunlap's creek 119 26

The law requiring the commissioners to report those parts of the route as are laid on the old road, as well as those on new grounds, and to state those parts which require the most immediate attention and amelioration, the probable expense of making the same pa.s.sable in the most difficult parts, and through the whole distance, they have to state that, from the crooked and hilly course of the road now traveled, the new route could not be made to occupy any part of it (except an intersection on Wills mountain, another at Jesse Tomlinson's, and a third near Big Youghiogheny, embracing not a mile of distance in the whole) without unnecessary sacrifices of distances and expense.

That, therefore, an estimate must be made on the route as pa.s.sing wholly through new grounds. In doing this the commissioners feel great difficulty, as they cannot, with any degree of precision, estimate the expense of making it merely pa.s.sable; nor can they allow themselves to suppose that a less breadth than that mentioned in the law was to be taken into the calculation. The rugged deformity of the grounds rendered it impossible to lay a route within the grade limited by law otherwise than by ascending and descending the hills obliquely, by which circ.u.mstance a great proportion of the route occupies the sides of the hills, which cannot be safely pa.s.sed on a road of common breadth, and where it will, in the opinion of the commissioners, be necessary, by digging, to give the proper form to thirty feet, at least in the breadth of the road, to afford suitable security in pa.s.sing on a way to be frequently crowded with wagons moving in opposite directions, with transports of emigrant families, and droves of cattle, hogs, etc., on the way to market. Considering, therefore, that a road on those grounds must have sufficient breadth to afford ways and water courses, and satisfied that nothing short of well constructed and completely finished conduits can insure it against injuries, which must otherwise render it impa.s.sable at every change of the seasons, by heavy falls of rain or melting of the beds of snow, with which the country is frequently covered; the commissioners beg leave to say, that, in a former report, they estimated the expense of a road on these grounds, when properly shaped, made and finished in the style of a stone-covered turnpike, at $6,000 per mile, exclusive of bridges over the princ.i.p.al streams on the way; and that with all the information they have since been able to collect, they have no reason to make any alteration in that estimate.

The contracts authorized by, and which have been taken under the superintendence of the commissioner, Thomas Moore (duplicates of which accompany this report), will show what has been undertaken relative to clearing the timber and brush from part of the breadth of the road. The performance of these contracts was in such forwardness on the 1st instant as leaves no doubt of their being completely fulfilled by the first of March.

The commissioners further state, that, to aid them in the extension of their route, they ran and marked a straight line from the crossing place on the Monongahela, to Wheeling, and had progressed twenty miles, with their usual and necessary lines of experiment, in ascertaining the shortest and best connection of practical grounds, when the approach of winter and the shortness of the days afforded no expectation that they could complete the location without a needless expense in the most inclement season of the year. And, presuming that the postponement of the remaining part till the ensuing spring would produce no delay in the business of making the road, they were induced to retire from it for the present.

The great length of time already employed in this business, makes it proper for the commissioners to observe that, in order to connect the best grounds with that circ.u.mspection which the importance of the duties confided to them demanded, it became indispensably necessary to run lines of experiment and reference in various directions, which exceed an average of four times the distance located for the route, and that, through a country so irregularly broken, and crowded with very thick underwood in many places, the work has been found so incalculably tedious that, without an adequate idea of the difficulty, it is not easy to reconcile the delay.

It is proper to mention that an imperious call from the private concerns of Commissioner Joseph Kerr, compelled him to return home on the 29th of November, which will account for the want of his signature to this report.

All of which is, with due deference, submitted, this 15th day of January, 1808.

ELI WILLIAMS, THOMAS MOORE.

NOTE.--It will be observed that Keyser's Ridge, which is unquestionably the highest point on the road, is not mentioned by the commissioners.

This is, no doubt, because, at the date of their report, the locality did not bear the name Keyser's Ridge, and was known as a peak of Negro mountain. Soon after the location of the road, one Keyser acquired the property at the ridge, and it took its name from him. It will also be observed that the measurement of heights by the commissioners was made from "a point ten feet above the surface of low water in the Potomac at c.u.mberland." A table of heights given in a subsequent chapter, the authority for which is not ascertainable, differs from that in the commissioners' report, but their report must be accepted as accurate from their point of measurement. The other table referred to gives the heights above the Atlantic and above c.u.mberland, and embraces more hills than the commissioners' report.

CHAPTER VI.

_Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury, called upon for Information respecting the Fund Applicable to the Roads mentioned in the Ohio Admission Act--His Responses._

TENTH CONGRESS--FIRST SESSION.

Communicated to the House of Representatives March 8, 1808.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT. March 3, 1808.

_Sir_: In answer to your letter of the 1st instant, I have the honor to state:

1st. That the 5 per cent. reserved by the act of 30th April, 1802, on the net moneys received for public lands in the State of Ohio, sold since 1st July, 1802, has amounted to the following sums, viz:

From 1st July, 1802, to 30th June, 1803 $ 6,220 00 From 1st July, 1803, to 30th June, 1804 8,810 17 From 1st July, 1804, to 30th June, 1805 13,994 30 From 1st July, 1805, to 30th June, 1806 31,442 20 From 1st July, 1806, to 30th June, 1807 28,827 92 From 1st July, 1807, to 31st December, 1807 (estimated) 15,000 00 ----------- $104,294 59

And that the said 5 per cent. will henceforth probably amount to $30,000 a year.

2d. That, of the $30,000 appropriated by act of 29th March, 1806, there has been expended, in laying out the c.u.mberland road from c.u.mberland to Brownsville, about $10,000 That there may be wanted to complete the location, about 5,000 ------- $15,000

3d. That contracts have been made for opening one-half of the breadth of said road, which, as verbally informed by one of the commissioners, will require about $3,000, leaving, probably, about $12,000 of the appropriation for the further improvement of the road.

4th. That the portion of the road actually located and confirmed, no part of which exceeds an angle of five degrees, extends from the navigable waters of the Potomac, at c.u.mberland, to the navigable waters of the Monongahela, at Brownsville (Red Stone Old Fort), and it is stated, though no official report has been made to me, at about seventy miles.

5th. That that road can be considered as a national object only if completed as a turnpike, whereby all the flour and other produce of the western adjacent countries may be brought to a market on the Atlantic sh.o.r.es; and the transportation of all the salt and other commodities and merchandise whatever, imported from the Atlantic ports to the western country generally, may be reduced probably one dollar per cwt.

And, Lastly, that the expense of completing that part of the road in such manner, is estimated at $400,000.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

ALBERT GALLATIN.

Hon. John Montgomery, of Maryland, Chairman, etc., in Congress.

COMMITTEE ROOM, Dec. 22, 1808.

_Sir_: The committee appointed on the message of the President, transmitting a report of the commissioners concerning a road from c.u.mberland to Ohio, have directed me to request that you would cause to be laid before them such information as may be in possession of the Treasury Department respecting the fund applicable by law to "the laying out and making public roads leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic, to the Ohio," etc. (1) The unexpended balance of the $30,000 appropriated by the act of the 29th of March, 1806; (2) The amount of moneys, exclusive of the above, now in the treasury, and in the hands of the receiver of public moneys, applicable to that object; and (3) an estimate of the probable amount of moneys that will accrue to the fund within the two succeeding years.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

JEREMIAH MORROW.

To the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury.

TENTH CONGRESS--SECOND SESSION.