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Roads Wanting Improvements

We have been requested to call the attention of the Road Surveyors of Union Township [District] to the almost impassable condition of the Little Creek road to Valley Farm [Valley Mills]. We have been over it and speak the language of despair as well as that of experience in regards to any mode of decently transporting man or beast, marketing or any other merchandise over the growing, water filled holes that bar the road at almost ever rod of the way. This road deserves better treatment. It winds through a rich and beautiful farming country, whose undulating fields remind one of scenes in Pennsylvania and New York. Stone abounds along the road side and it is a criminal neglect of duty that allows these holes to go unfilled to the untold danger and detriment of horse flesh, ox flesh and human flesh. If this road is not promptly attended to by the Road Surveyors, we shall publish the names of the official culprits in the Times.

Note: The item above references the St. Mary’s Pike.

Turnpike Repaired. The Parkersburg and Staunton Turnpike which had been allowed to go to utter ruin ever since the war began [Civil War], is now in a very fair condition for traveling between Parkersburg and Kanawha Station. The bridge which has been entirely down at Shacktown has been rebuilt within the last month and one or two other bridges, either newly built or thoroughly repaired; besides which the gutters have been plowed out for water courses, and numerable holes have been filled, until it is quite comfortable to take a buggy ride in that direction as of yore.

At last our road managers have actually commenced to repair some of the roads which lead out of Parkersburg. Several culverts are in the course of construction on that heretofore most miserable example of bad roads between the [Market street] bridge and Neal’s Run on the other side of the Kanawha River. We notice that a number of men are vigorously at work putting it in order.

Excerpt from The Parkersburg Daily Times,

June 25, 1867

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Muddy – Muddy, Muddy

An old lady, while trying to cross Washington street [now Sixth Street], yesterday, sunk knee deep into the mud, at which she got so vexed that she declared, “I believe this is the muddiest street in Parkersburg,” and she would move to have street put into a passable condition. The old lady is right, we second the motion.

The Parkersburg Daily Times,

March 5, 1868

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BAD ROADS

If any man has ever seen the roads in the country or around the city worse than they have been for the past month we should like to hear from him. With a little sluicing a line of miniature iron-clad steamers might be run upon any of the noble “turnpikes” upon which country people are charged toll at the rate of three cents a mile. To be sure it has been so far an open and rainy winter and good roads are out of the question; but if there is any humanity, or Christianity, or even Democracy left in the various road supervisors, they should forthwith dump a dozen loads of stone in each bad mire on their roads. If they do not we fear all of us who travel the public roads will soon find watery graves. Something must be done or we will “take up arms against a sea of bubble, and by opposing end them.”

Case in Point

The report that they were firing a seventy-two pounder [cannon] across the Northwestern pike to raise the body of a man drowned there, turns out to be a mistake. The man was lassoed and dragged out just as his head was disappearing under the mud.

The Parkersburg Weekly State Journal,

Jan. 15, 1874

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.