In 1806, Congress authorized money for the building of a road from Cumberland, Maryland to the Ohio River - the first federally funded road in the history of the United States. Eventually known as The National Road, this ambitious building project wended its way through six states.
Since its completion in 1835, the Indiana section of The National Road has been the artery that feeds America’s heartland. Two hundred years ago, the sights along The National Road offered a look into the future for the westward traveling pioneer. Today’s travelers can catch glimpses of the way the world used to be.
Join us on our journey as we travel through Indiana. From east to west, read about attractions to visit, places to stay, sights to see, and some of Indiana’s most famous figures. Whether this is your first trip to the area or your hundredth, you will discover something in these pages that you never knew before.
Mary Beth Temple is a freelance writer based just outside of New York City, who writes frequently on antiques and home decor. She discovered the joys of touring the Historic National Road while researching an article on Wayne County’s Antique Alley. Other books include Rescuing Vintage Textiles, and Touring New Jersey’s Lighthouses. and the recent The Secret Language of Knitters
To contact the author - email IndyRoadBook@yahoo.com