Committee Report On Disbursement of Money for Construction of the Ohio-Atlantic Road.

Last Update: Aug. 17, 2011

No. 195. 9th Congress. 1st Session.

CUMBERLAND ROAD.

Communicated to the Senate, December 19, 1805.

Mr. Tracy, from the committee to whom was referred the examination of the act, entitled "An act to enable the people of the eastern division of the Territory northwest of the river Ohio to form a constitution and State Government; and for the admission of such State into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes;" and to report the manner, in their opinion, the money appropriated by said act ought to be applied, made the following report: That, upon examination of the act aforesaid, they find "the one-twentieth part, or 5 per cent, of the net proceeds of the lands lying within the State of Ohio, and sold by Congress from and after the 30th day of June, 1802, is appropriated for the laying out and making public roads, leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic to the river Ohio, to said State, and through the same; such roads to be laid out under the authority of Congress, with the consent of the several States through which the road shall pass."

They find, that, by a subsequent law, passed on the 3d day of March, 1803, Congress appropriated 3 per cent, of the said 5 per cent, to laying out and making roads within the State of Ohio, leaving 2 per cent, of the appropriation contained in the first-mentioned law unexpended, which now remains for " the laying out and making roads from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic to the river Ohio, to said State"

They find that the net proceeds of sales of land in the State of Ohio, from July 1st, 1802, to June 30th, 1803, both inclusive, were:

From 1st July, 1803, to June 30th, 1804, ----- 176,203 35
From 1st July, 1804, to June 30th, 1805, ----- 266,000 00
From 1st July, 1805, to 30th Sept. 1805, ----- 66,000 00

Amounting, in the whole, to - $632,604 27

Two per cent, on which such amounts to 12,652 dollars.

Twelve thousand six hundred and fifty-two dollars were, therefore, on the 1st day of October last, subject to the uses directed by law, as mentioned in this report; and it will be discerned that the fund is constantly accumulating, and will, probably, by the time regular preparations can be made for its expenditure, amount to eighteen or twenty thousand dollars.

The committee have examined, as far as their limited time and the scanty sources of facts within their reach would permit, the various routes which have been contemplated for laying out roads pursuant to the provisions of the act first mentioned in this report.

They find that the distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburg is 314 miles by the usual route, and on a straight line about 270.

From Philadelphia to the nearest point on the river Ohio, contiguous to the State of Ohio, which is probably between Steubenville and the mouth of Grave creek, the distance by the usual route is 360 miles, and on a straight line about 308.

From Baltimore to the river Ohio, between the same points, and by the usual route, is 275 miles, and on a straight line 224.

From this city (Washington) to the same points on the river Ohio, the distance is nearly the same as from Baltimore; probably the difference is not a plurality of miles.

From Richmond, in Virginia, to the nearest point on the river Ohio, the distance by the usual route is 377 miles; but new roads are opening which will shorten the distance 50 or 60 miles; 247 miles of the contemplated road, from Richmond northwesterly, will be as good as the roads usually are in that country, but the remaining 70 or 80 miles are bad, for the present, and probably will remain so for a length of time, as there seems to be no existing inducement for the State of Virginia to incur the expense of making that part of the road passable.

From Baltimore to the Monongahela river, where the route from Baltimore to the Ohio river will intersect it, the distance as usually travelled is 218 miles, and on a straight line about 184. From this point, which is at or near Brownsville, boats can pass down, with great facility, to the State of Ohio, during a number of months in every year.

The above distances are not all stated from actual mensuration, but it is believed they are sufficiently correct for the present purpose.

The committee have not examined any routes northward of that leading from Philadelphia to the river Ohio, nor southward of that leading from Richmond, because they suppose the roads to be laid out must strike the river Ohio on some point contiguous to the State of Ohio, in order to satisfy the words of the law making the appropriation; the words are, "leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic, to the river Ohio, to the said State, and through the same."

The mercantile intercourse of the citizens of Ohio with those of the Atlantic States is chiefly in Philadelphia and Baltimore; not very extensive in the towns on the Potomac within the District of Columbia, and still less with Richmond, in Virginia. At present, the greatest portion of their trade is with Philadelphia; but it is believed, their trade is rapidly increasing with Baltimore, owing to the difference of distance in favor of Baltimore, and to the advantage of boating down the Monongahela river, from the point where the road strikes it, about 70 miles by water, and 50 by land, above Pittsburg.

The such appropriated for laying out and making roads is so small, that the committee have thought it most expedient to direct an expenditure to one route only; they have, therefore, endeavored to fix on that which, for the present, will be most-accommodating to the citizens of the State of Ohio; leaving to the future benevolence and policy of Congress, an extension of their operations on this or other routes, and an increase of the requisite fund, as the discoveries of experience may point out their expediency and necessity. The committee being fully convinced that a wise Government can never lose sight of an object so important as that of connecting a numerous and rapidly increasing population, spread upon a fertile and extensive territory, with the Atlantic States, now separated from them by mountains, which, by industry and an expense moderate in comparison with the advantages, can be rendered passable.

The route from Richmond must necessarily approach the State of Ohio in a part thinly inhabited, and which, from the nature of the soil, and other circumstances, must remain so, at least for a considerable time; and, from the hilly and rough condition of the country, no roads are or can be conveniently made, leading to the principal population of the Slate of Ohio. These considerations have induced the committee to postpone, for the present, any further consideration of that route.

The spirit and perseverance of Pennsylvania are such, in the article of road making, that no doubt can remain but they will, in a little time, complete a road from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, as good as the nature of the ground will permit. They are so particularly interested to facilitate the intercourse between their trading capital, Philadelphia, not only to Pittsburg, but also to the extensive country within that State, on the western waters, that they will, of course, surmount the difficulties presented by the Allegany mountain, Chestnut Ridge, and Laurel Hill, the three great and almost exclusive impediments which now exist on that route.

The State of Maryland, with no less spirit and perseverance, are engaged in making roads from Baltimore, and from the western boundary of the District of Columbia, through Fredericktown, to Williamsport. Were the Government of the United States to direct the expenditure of the fund in contemplation upon either of these routes, for the present, in Pennsylvania or Maryland, it would, probably, so far interfere with the operations of the respective States, as to produce mischief instead of benefit; especially as the sum to be laid out by the United States is too inconsiderable, alone, to effect objects of such magnitude. But as the State of Maryland have no particular interest to extend their road across the mountains, (and if they had, it would be impracticable, because the State does not extend so far,) the committee have thought it expedient to recommend the laying out and making a road from Cumberland, on the northerly bank of the Potomac, and within the State of Maryland, to the river Ohio, at the most convenient place between a point on the easterly bank of said river, opposite to Steubenville, and the mouth of Grave creek, which empties into said river Ohio, a little below Wheeling, in Virginia. This route will meet and accommodate the roads leading from Baltimore and the District of Columbia; it will cross the Monongahela river, at or near Brownsville, sometimes called Redstone, where the advantage of boating can be taken; and from the point where it will probably intersect the river Ohio, there are now roads, or they can easily be made over feasible and proper ground, to and through the principal population of the State of Ohio.

Cumberland is situated at the eastern foot of the Allegany mountain, about eighty miles from Williamsport, by the usual route, which is circuitous, owing to a large bend in the river Potomac, on the bank of which the road now runs; the distance on a straight line is not more than fifty or fifty-five miles, and over tolerable ground for a road, which will probably be opened by the State of Maryland, should the route be established over the mountains, as contemplated by this report.

From Cumberland to the western extremity of Laurel Hill, by the route now travelled, the distance is sixty-six miles, and on a straight line about fifty-five; on this part of the route, the committee suppose, the first and very considerable expenditures are specially necessary. From Laurel Hill to the Ohio river, by the usual route, is about seventy miles, and on a straight line fifty-four or five; the road is tolerable, though capable of amelioration.

To carry into effect the principles arising from the foregoing facts, the committee present herewith a bill for the consideration of the Senate. They suppose, that to take the proper measures for carrying into effect the section of the law respecting a road or roads to the State of Ohio is a duty imposed upon Congress by the law itself, and that a sense of duty will always be sufficient to insure the passage of the bill now offered to the Senate.

To enlarge upon the highly important considerations of cementing the union of our citizens located on the Western waters with those of tho Atlantic States, would be an indelicacy offered to the understandings of the body to whom this report is addressed, as it might seem to distrust them. But, from the interesting nature of the subject, the committee are induced to ask the indulgence of a single observation: Politicians have generally agreed that rivers unite the interests and promote the friendship of those who inhabit their banks; while mountains, on the contrary, tend to the disunion and estrangement of those who are separated by their intervention. In the present case, to make the crooked ways straight, and the rough ways smooth, will, in effect remove the intervening mountains, and, by facilitating the intercourse of our Western brethren with those on the Atlantic, substantially unite them in interest, which, the committee believe, is the most effectual cement of union applicable to the human race.

All which is most respectfully submitted.