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Hitting The Bricks On Ohio's National Road


mobilene
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When Ohio improved the National Road -- also known as State Route 1 at about this time -- it laid bricks east of Zanesville. A few sections of the old brick road remain. The first I encountered was the segment at Blaine, documented earlier. I expected the second to be just west of Old Washington, as it was clearly an old alignment and Google Maps labeled it Brick Road. But apparently the evil asphalters got to it before I did. But just check out the difference between the old alignment (left) and the new (right).

 

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Brick Road isn't brick anymore by mobilene, on Flickr

 

A short bit west, however, is the relatively well-known Peacock Road. It starts off as gravel, but shortly bricks emerge. (I'll bet that if you dig down in the gravel, you'll find brick, too, probably in bad shape, hence the graveling.)

 

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Peacock Road by mobilene, on Flickr

 

The concrete "curbs" make me wonder if this road is built the same as the abandoned brick segments in Illinois -- concrete pad topped with bricks.

 

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Peacock Road by mobilene, on Flickr

 

I had an overwhelming urge to go to a hardware store, buy an edger, a weedwhacker, and some Roundup, and come back here to clean up the overgrowth on this road.

 

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Peacock Road by mobilene, on Flickr

 

Just west of Cambridge, I encountered another brief brick segment on an old alignment. It was good, rumbly brick.

 

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Brick segment of old US 40/NR by mobilene, on Flickr

 

Check out how they curved the road.

 

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Brick segment of old US 40/NR by mobilene, on Flickr

 

This road is still considered important, as evidenced by its striping.

 

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Brick segment of old US 40/NR by mobilene, on Flickr

 

When I got to Norwich, the map called out another segment labeled Brick Rd. It was an old alignment of an old alignment. Fortunately, this one was really still brick.

 

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Brick Rd. by mobilene, on Flickr

 

It cut across a lovely country scene.

 

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Brick Rd. by mobilene, on Flickr

 

These bricks are spaced unusually widely.

 

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Brick Rd. by mobilene, on Flickr

 

This was the last brick segment I encountered on the trip. Zanesville is the next big town to the west, and the segment between there and Hebron was famously laid in concrete from 1914 to 1916. Some of that concrete remains, and I'll share it later.

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Jim,

 

Some really nice sections of brick road! Out here that long a section of brick would be declared a historical site.

 

I want to repeat a comment I made about one of your earlier posts. The first shot here is another classic, that should be in a roadie's guide book. As you very well know, newer roads level the hills, fill the dips, and smooth the curves or turns. This is a perfect example of cutting the hill down. It makes the point in a way hard to forget.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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I want to repeat a comment I made about one of your earlier posts. The first shot here is another classic, that should be in a roadie's guide book. As you very well know, newer roads level the hills, fill the dips, and smooth the curves or turns. This is a perfect example of cutting the hill down. It makes the point in a way hard to forget.

 

Dave, honest to goodness, I was thinking of you as I stood there taking that photo! You were key in opening my eyes to some of the things I had been seeing out on the road but didn't understand; this was one of those things.

 

jim

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Dave, honest to goodness, I was thinking of you as I stood there taking that photo! You were key in opening my eyes to some of the things I had been seeing out on the road but didn't understand; this was one of those things.

 

jim

 

Jim,

 

Yah, I recall that exchange years ago. Now the "student" is more knowledgeable than the "teacher." You do nice work, buddy!!! Now I'm learning from your work, and your comment means a lot to me.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jim, you have one Ohio resident's clearance to apply that weedwhacker to our overgrowth anytime you'd like.

 

Regarding the widely spaced bricks, there is at least one documented instance of the Lincoln Highway near Canton, Ohio, being widened by two feet by pulling the bricks apart and adding sand. I don't know that that was the case here but it seems possible.

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