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The Old Pike / A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon cover

The Old Pike / A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon

By Thomas B. Searight
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History - AmericanHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)History - Modern (1750+)

About This Book

A chronological account traces the federal and state decisions, funding measures, and engineering choices that created and sustained the national highway, including debates over materials, bridge designs, and maintenance responsibility. It documents construction practices and administrative changes, then shifts to social history: travel culture, wagoners, stagecoaches, mail service, tolls, and the taverns and towns that lined the route. Numerous incidents, accidents, contractor controversies, and personal anecdotes illustrate daily life on the pike, while appendices collect relevant laws, reports, and correspondence to clarify the road’s technical, legal, and local dimensions.

About the Author

Searight, Thomas B. portrait

Thomas B. Searight

Thomas B. Searight was an American author known for his work on the history of the National Road, a significant thoroughfare in the early development of the United States. His notable book, "The Old Pike / A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon," provides a detailed account of the road's impact on transportation and commerce, as well as the stories of those who traveled it. Searight's writing captures the essence of 19th-century American life and the importance of infrastructure in shaping the nation.

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