Hard To Find Stewart Sites

[Mark G Simon]

This past summer I had reason to travel to Kansas City from my home near DC, so naturally I followed the National Road. One site from Stewart's U.S. 40 which is hard to recognize today is no. 29, "Farm on the National Road", which is located "near Belleville". I cannot be 100% certain that this is it, but it fit the description given in the Vales' U.S. 40 Today as "just west of the town limit and beyond a small new housing development". In any case there didn't seem to be any other place around that could possibly be the place.

 

A photo from the same angle Stewart used would be impossible due to the increased vegetation. This, if it is indeed the spot, is a head-on view. None of the buildings from Stewart's photo are still there, but I believe the brown garage in my photo is the same as the structure just in front of the pre-fab home in the Vales' picture. That, and possibly the utility pole to the left of the house.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Mark G Simon

[Mark G Simon]

I also had difficulty locating Stewart's "Highway and Tree" in Ohio, not too far from Lafeyette and the Red Brick Tavern. The picture here is certainly the same spot, but alas neither the tree nor the "attractive bit of masonry" are still there. A clump of trees still occupies the general spot of Stewart's tree, but a close inspection on foot showed no trace of the wall. The house to the left of the highway is the same as in the Vales' 1980 picture.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Mark G Simon

[mobilene]

Mark,

 

I am inclined to agree that this is the site of the farm near Belleville. I spent half a morning driving up and down 40 around Belleville one day last year with my copy of the Vales' book in hand trying to find the spot and this is the spot I judged most likely to be "it." (I live in Indianapolis, so a trip to Belleville isn't a big deal.)

 

jim

[mobilene]

BTW, I've spent a fair amount of time exploring old and abandoned alignments of the National Road and US 40 between Indy and Vandalia, IL. Here are some writeups with photos.

 

http://jimgrey.net/Roads/US40/index.htm

 

http://jimgrey.net/Roads/NationalRoadIllinois/index.htm

 

http://jimgrey.net/Roads/INILNationalRoadRevisited/index.htm

[Mark G Simon]

BTW, I've spent a fair amount of time exploring old and abandoned alignments of the National Road and US 40 between Indy and Vandalia, IL. Here are some writeups with photos.

 

 

I've read them with great pleasure. That's a terrific site you have!

 

[mobilene]

Thank you!