hirteen。 Commissioners were appointed in 1806 to choose the best route by which the great highway could reach the Ohio River between Steubenville； Ohio and the mouth of Grave Creek； but difficulties of navigation in the neighborhood of the Three Sister Islands near Charlestown； or Wellsburg； West Virginia； led to the choice of Wheeling； farther down； as a temporary western terminus。
The route selected was an excellent compromise between the long standing rival claims of Pennsylvania； Maryland； and Virginia to the trade of the West。 If Baltimore and Alexandria were to be better served than Philadelphia； the advantage was slight； and Pennsylvania gained compensation； ere the State gave the National Government permission to build the road within its limits； by dictating that it should pass through Uniontown and Washington。 In this way Pennsylvania obtained； without cost； unrivaled advantages for a portion of the State which might otherwise have been long neglected。
The building of the road； however satisfactory in the main； was not undertaken without arousing many sectional and personal hopes and prejudices and jealousies； of which the echoes still linger in local legends today。 Land…owners； mine…owners； factory…owners； innkeepers and countless townsmen and villagers anxiously watched the course of the road and were bitterly disappointed if the new sixty…four…foot thoroughfare did not pass immediately through their property。 On the other hand； promoters of toll and turnpike companies； who had promising schemes and long lists of shareholders； were far from eager to have their property taken for a national road。 No one believed that； if it proved successful； it would be the only work of its kind； and everywhere men looked for the construction of government highways out of the overflowing wealth of the treasury within the next few years。
In April； 1811； the first contracts were let for building the first ten miles of the road from its eastern terminus and were completed in 18191。 More contracts were let in 1812； 1813； and 1815。 Even in those days of war when the drain on the national treasury was excessive； over a quarter of a million dollars was appropriated for the construction of the road。 Onward it crawled； through the beautiful Cumberland gateway of the Potomac； to Big Savage and Little Savage Mountains； to Little Pine Run （the first 〃Western〃 water）； to Red Hill （later called 〃Shades of Death〃 because of the gloomy forest growth）； to high…flung Negro Mountain at an elevation of 2325 feet； and thence on to the Youghiogheny； historic Great Meadows； Braddock's Grave； Laurel Hill； Uniontown； and Brownsville； where it crossed the Monongahela。 Thence； on almost a straight line； it sped by way of Washington to Wheeling。 Its average cost was upwards of thirteen thousand dollars a mile from the Potomac to the Ohio。 The road was used in 1817； and in another year the mail coaches of the United States were running from Washington to Wheeling； West Virginia。 Within five years one of the five commission houses doing business at Wheeling is said to have handled over a thousand wagons carrying freight of nearly two tons each。 The Cumberland Road at once leaped into a position of leadership； both in volume of commerce and in popularity； and held its own for two famous decades。 The pulse of the nation beat to the steady throb of trade along its highway。 Maryland at once stretched out her eager arms； along stone roads； through Frederick and Hagerstown to Cumberland； and thus formed a single route from the Ohio to Baltimore。 Great stagecoach and freight lines were soon established； each patronizing its own stage house or wagon stand in the thriving towns along the road。 The primitive box stage gave way to the oval or football type with curved top and bottom； and this was displaced in turn by the more practical Concord coach of national fame。 The names of the important stagecoach companies were quite as well known； a century ago； as those of our great railways today。 Chief among them were the National； Good Intent； June Bug； and Pioneer lines。 The coaches； drawn by four and sometimes six horses； were usually painted in brilliant colors and were named after eminent statesmen。 The drivers of these gay chariots were characters quite as famous locally as the personages whose names were borne by the coaches。 Westover and his record of forty…five minutes for the twenty miles between Uniontown and Brownsville； and 〃Red〃 Bunting； with his drive of a hundred and thirty…one miles in twelve hours with the declaration of war against Mexico； will be long famous on the curving stretches of the Cumberland Road。
Although the freight and express traffic of those days lacked the picturesqueness of the passenger coaches； nothing illustrates so conclusively what the great road meant to an awakening West as the long lines of heavy Conestogas and rattling express wagons which raced at 〃unprecedented〃 speed across hill and vale。 Searight； the local historian of the road； describes these large； broad…wheeled wagons covered with white canvas as
〃visible all the day long； at every point； making the highway look more like a leading avenue of a great city than a road through rural districts。。。。 I have staid over night with William Cheets on Nigger ＇Negro＇ Mountain when there were about thirty six…horse teams in the wagon yard； a hundred Kentucky mules in an adjoining lot； a thousand hogs in their enclosures； and as many fat cattle in adjoining fields。 The music made by this large number of hogs eating corn on a frosty night I shall never forget。 After supper and attention to the teams； the wagoners would gather in the bar…room and listen to the music on the violin furnished by one of their fellows； have a Virginia hoe…down； sing songs； tell anecdotes； and hear the experiences of drivers and drovers from all points of the road； and； when it was all over； unroll their beds； lay them down on the floor before the bar…room fire side by side； and sleep with their feet near the blaze as soundly as under the parental roof。〃
Meanwhile New York； the other great rival for Western trade； was intent on its own darling project； the Erie Canal。 In 1808； three years before the building of the Cumberland Road； Joshua Forman offered a bill in favor of the canal in the Legislature of New York。 In plain but dignified language this document stated that New York possessed 〃the best route of communication between the Atlantic and western waters；〃 and that it held 〃the first commercial rank in the United States。〃 The bill also noted that； while 〃several of our sister States〃 were seeking to secure 〃the trade of that wide extended country；〃 their natural advantages were 〃vastly inferior。〃 Six hundred dollars was the amount appropriated for a brief survey； and Congress was asked to vote aid for the construction of the 〃Buffalo…Utica Canal。〃 The matter was widely talked about but action was delayed。 Doubt as to the best route to be pursued caused some discussion。 If the western terminus were to be located on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Oswego； as some advocated； would produce not make its way to Montreal instead of to New York？ In 1810 a new committee was appointed and； though their report favored the paralleling of the course of the Mohawk and Oswego rivers； their engineer； James Geddes； gave strength to the party which believed a direct canal would best serve the interests of the State。 It is worth noting that Livingston and Fulton were added to the committee in 1811。
The hopes of outside aid from Congress and adjacent States met with disappointment。 In vain did the advocates of the canal in 1812 plead that its construction would promote 〃a free and general intercourse between different parts of the United States； tend to the aggrandizement and prosperity of the country； and consolidate and strengthen the Union。〃 The plan to have the Government subsidize the canal by vesting in the State of New York four million acres of Michigan land brought out a protest from the West which is notable not so much because it records the opposition of this section as because it illustrates the shortsightedness of most of the arguments raised against the New York enterprise。 The purpose of the canal； the detractors asserted； was to build up New York City to the detriment of Montreal； and the navigation of Lake Ontario； whose beauty they touchingly described； was to be abandoned for a 〃narrow； winding obstructed canal。。。for an expense which arithmetic dares not approach。〃 It was； in their minds； unquestionably a selfish object； and they believed that 〃both correct science； and the dictates of patriotism and philanthropy ＇should＇ lead to the adoption of more liberal principles。〃 It was a shortsighted object； 〃predicated on the eternal adhesion of the Canadas to England。〃 It would never give satisfaction since trade would always ignore artificial and seek natural routes。 The attempting of such comparatively useless projects would discourage worthy schemes； relax the bonds of Union； and depress the national character。 But though these Westerners thus misjudged the possibilities of the Erie Canal； we must doff our hats to them for their foresight in suggesting that； instead of aiding the Erie Canal； the nation ought to build canals at Niagara Falls and Panama！
The War of 1812 suspended all talk of the canal； but the subject was again brought up by Judge Platt in the autumn of 1816。 With alacrity strong men came to the aid of the measure。 De Witt Clinton's Memorial of 1816 addressed to the State Legislature may well rank with Washington's letter to Harrison in the documentary history of American commercial development。 It sums up the geographical position of New York with reference to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic； her relationship to the West and to Canada； the feasibility of the proposed route from an engineering standpoint； the timeliness of the moment for such a work of improvement； the value that the canal would give to the state lands of the interior； and the trade that it would bring to the towns along its pathway。
The Erie Canal was born in the Act of April 14； 1817； but the decision of the Council of Revision； which held the power of veto； was in doubt。 An anecdote related by Judge Platt tends