Long before the invention of the railroads or the automobile and all the way back to colonial America, there existed a need to get from point A to point B in the easiest way forth. Over time, our fixation with comfortable, easy, and even enjoyable, means of transportation has only grown to epic proportions compared to colonial days.
Whether our fascination is with convenience, or new technology, we still love looking back at how generations before us 'struggled' in comparison to our easy and modern modes. But fast planes, trains, and automobiles aside — what about the evolution of roads?
Long before the invention of asphalt, there was the plank road. The most remembered of which was the 129-mile wooden highway in North Carolina, the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road, that connected Fayetteville and Bethania, a Moravian settlement in the Piedmont.
Built in 1851, the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road was instrumental in moving people and goods for decades. The photo here shows a similar plank road in Seattle in 1918 with U.S. Army soldiers standing next to an early automobile.
Long, long before the plank road came into play in North Carolina, there was a highway ordered built by the King who ordered the governors of the colonies to construct a road that would connect Charleston and Boston. Work began in 1650 under the order of the King of England and took decades to complete.
Soon after the death of King Charles, his son, Charles the II of England, would be forced into exile in neighboring France. But it appears the tireless work of building the King's highway continued throughout Charles the II's nearly 10 years in exile.
The King's road, of course, moved through North Carolina and parts of the original route, although seriously widened and upgraded, are still in use today. In fact, much of the King's highway from Virginia southward is still in use.
It was built in sections, as opposed to starting at the northern end in Boston and working southward. Each governor was responsible for the road through his colony. The route in North Carolina followed what is now NC 32 from the border between Virginia and North Carolina to Edenton.
From Edenton to New Bern, the King's highway followed a route that was incorporated into modern day U.S. Highway 17.
As one can imagine, creating a wagon trail road in colonial days through North Carolina's coastal region meant crossing many fords. It's believed the ford crossings were an issue early on, especially in low-lying areas where rainfall would make waters rise and create unsafe crossing conditions.
By 1735, the King's Highway was complete from Boston to Charleston and politicians, settlers, and dignitaries from England could more easily get from point A to point B in the colonies.
Have you driven on the King's highway through eastern North Carolina without realizing the historical significance of the road?
And did you realize this major road from the 1600s even still existed?
If you love uncovering interesting facts about the history of North Carolina,then you'll find more here: 15 Things You Might Not Know About The History Of North Carolina.
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