Driving the National Road & Route 40 in Ohio: Then & Now

Description

Ohio’s stretch of the National Road is part of a National Scenic Byway spanning more than 700 miles across six states. Commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, construction of the National Road began in Maryland in 1811 and by the 1830s reached almost to St. Louis.

In 1912, the National Road was incorporated into the National Old Trails Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, a transcontinental route from New York to Los Angeles. That road helped lay the foundation for another coast-to-coast highway – U.S. Route 40 – which in 1926 became one of the first roads in the numbered U.S. highway system.

Part history and part travelogue, Driving the National Road and Route 40 in Ohio: Then and Now is a roadie’s treasure map for experiencing Ohio’s slice of this very important route. The book takes you on a westward visual journey through the entire 228 miles of the combined National Road and Route 40 in Ohio, along the Main Streets of tiny villages, small Ohio cities, and even through the modern capital.

Along the way, juxtapositions of historic and modern images depict the route’s evolution – pages spotlight everything from original segments of brick roadway to old restaurants and motels still welcoming guests, to buildings still standing but living a new life, and sadly places lost to time and development. In short, you will come to know what the road was and what it has become.

Driving the National Road and Route 40 in Ohio: Then and Now is for readers drawn to old roads and scenic byways, who truly understand the journey is more important than the destination. If you are a history lover, old stone bridges and original stretches of road that existed when Ohio was part of the Northwest Territory await you. If nostalgia is your thing, meandering open stretches of Route 40 and visiting hamlets frozen in time will have you reminiscing about summer vacations packed in the family station wagon. Most of all, you’ll be encouraged to do more than just read – the pages will beckon you to drive the route, park your car, and enjoy the communities first-hand.

About the Author
William Flood is a freelance historian, preservationist, and writer interested in twentieth-century commercial culture. He’s been called an “evangelist” for retro Americana, promoting the icons of mid-century popular culture to those who love them. His work has championed everything from roadside architecture to 1950s modernism.

At any time, you might find him wandering down a historic road, writing about a landmark drive-in restaurant, researching the history of a vintage bowling alley, photographing the fantastic lines of a Googie-style building, or even reporting on the happenings at a surviving mid-century tiki bar. Articles on his adventures have appeared in publications like American Road, Antique Week, Vintage Campers/Trailers, and even the Miami New Times.

He became fondly acquainted with the National Road as a long-time resident of both Maryland and Ohio and through several years serving as secretary of the Ohio National Road Association, president of Ohio Byway Links, and president of the historical society for Whitehall Ohio, one of the many towns along the route. His work on the National Road appeared in his first book and has been featured in numerous magazine articles. For Driving the National Road and Route 40 in Ohio: Then and Now, he drew upon his own collection, extensive travels along the National Road and Route 40, and generous help from organizations serving communities connected by the road.