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1806 Legislation Commemorated

March 26, 2006

The Ohio National Road Association and the Ohio Historical Society kicked off a celebration of the Bicentennial of the Historic National Road on March 26, 2006 at the National Road/Zane Grey Museum near Norwich, Ohio. Two hundred years ago on this date, President Thomas Jefferson had commissioned the construction of a National Road. As the leader of a growing nation, he envisioned that such a road would assist westward progress and promote commercial travel over the Alleghany Mountains.


National Road/Zane Grey Museum Director Alan King began the celebration by reading and ceremonially “signing” the 1806 Act of Congress which authorized the construction of the nation's first multi-state, Federally-funded highway - the Cumberland Road (National Road). The legislation was nothing short of "revolutionary", in that it set the precedent for all future Federal public works projects.
The Ohio National Road Association (ONRA) set up an information table at the event to share their newsletters, Byway postcards, and to provide membership forms. The Friends of the (National Road/Zane Grey) Museum group was also on hand to encourage guests to support the Museum by volunteering and becoming members.		 The ONRA information booth
ONRA Board members Cyndie Gerken (pictured) and Denna Johnson answered questions about the Association and provided guests with a free copy of the newly released A Traveler’s Guide to the Historic National Road in Ohio.

Nearly 200 attendees waited in line for Traveler’s Guide co-authors Doug Smith (on left) Glenn Harper to sign their copy.		 A band performs at the reenactment
Musicians dressed in period clothing provided entertainment at the event.		 Museum visitors enjoy the historical sites
Visitors at the event enjoyed learning about the overall history of the Road in the National Road/Zane Grey Museum. The museum itself was a fitting backdrop for this first Bicentennial event, and tells the story of the National Road with dioramas, antique automobiles and other displays.
An original stone mile-marker
Scattered around the grounds of the National Road/Zane Grey Museum you’ll find mile markers (one pictured here) that indicated distances from Cumberland, Maryland where the Road began, and from and to the nearest towns to the east and west.