The Great Wagon Road Map

[@SistaCalista]

Thank you! Y'all are such a blessing!!♡♡

[@TennValleyGal]

Carole, I learn something new about my ancestors and their migrations with each of your youtube videos. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing your vast knowledge of the past. Blessings....

[@cathyc6725]

Thank you for your hard work!

[@hubertmichael1595]

My family came from Lancaster to Lexington, NC in 1738. We came from Overalbin, Germany of the Rhyme River into the Philadelphia Port in 1738. The first Michael in our family died shortly departing the Ship; the Glasgow.

[@RTheWalkerOfGreenB]

I'm glad there's so many people that are interested in this history. I wanna know what northern Forsyth County looked like when Bethabara was settled.

[@melissafoster6074]

Thank you for sharing your hard work.

[@marcmccook9154]

A great survey of roads and settlements that you graciously present. Thank you Carol

[@elleransom3113]

I’m sorry to find that I missed your livestream, somehow the month snuck by me & I didn’t realize it was already the 28th yesterday! A big thank you to you & your family Mrs. Carol and to the Great Wagon Road Project Team! 👏👏👏😊 I can’t wait to read the upcoming articles about the GWR! I was wondering what our ancestors had to do to create the roads at that time and I heard someone ask about the plank roads….. It doesn’t seem like it would be that hard to create a dirt road - cutting trees & removing stumps, but maybe they also needed to bring in dirt to smooth the roads & fill in holes. I was also wondering who was responsible for creating & repairing the road? And how was it paid for - did the local governments hire laborers or did they commission the military/ militia to do this work? Also, I would love if you could indulge us sometime in the future with an article or video on searching for records of our ancestors travels - is this mostly something you need to do on foot, physically stopping along the way & checking libraries or old businesses? I know you have mentioned taverns & stores keeping records, but I still have no clue where those records would be today or how to access them, unless they have been printed in books. You have so much knowledge about these things, you could easily make money teaching classes if you wanted! Anyways, I certainly appreciate the knowledge & your work that you freely share with us! Hope you enjoyed the holiday time with your family! Take care 💞

[@Calatriste54]

Regret missing the live stream. Howdy you guys. Will be watching for next show.. Hoo, hoo! 2024! The Old Germantown Road through Warm Springs has special interest to me.

[@patriciajrs46]

Hi Carole. Patricia in Tennessee. Sorry, I'm late to the listening.

[@elizabethpaluzzi8298]

Do you have any information or videos about inns and taverns along the road? More specifically in Winchester VA in the 1750s.

[@piedmonttrails]

Hi Elizabeth and Thank you so much for the question. In January 2022, we published a podcast concerning the taverns in North Carolina. I've included a link below. We do have several articles on the website concerning a few taverns in Virginia along the Great Wagon Road. If you have a specific tavern in mind, let us know. podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/piedmonttrails/episodes/Old-Roads-and-Taverns-in-Western-North-Carolina-e1dc05c/a-a79kb7v

[@elizabethpaluzzi8298]

Thank you so much for the link, I will enjoy reading what you have. I do have a specific tavern in mind. Located in Winchester Virginia and owned by John and Catherine Lemley in the late 1750s. I don’t know the name or specific location of the tavern, how long they owned it, or if they owned it until their passing. Love your content! Your work is very much appreciated!

[@JohnnyButtons]

The “Wayside Inn” is a few miles south of Winchester, in Middletown and has been in operation since the 1700s. It is like stepping into the past, a beautiful place to visit!

[@rgdodson]

I am interested in the possible route that my ancestors took from Pittsylvania County, VA to the Cumberland Gap. On a map, it appears to be nearly straight West, but I know that modern maps can be deceiving when a person is thinking about a route taken in 1810 or so.

[@piedmonttrails]

The deal here is your timeline. By 1810, there were many different routes that were available from Pittsylvania County, VA to the Cumberland Gap area. The first road in the Cumberland Gap area dates to the 1740s. You can actually pinpoint the exact route your family traveled if, and I stress this, IF you know the exact time they traveled. By knowing that, you can identify possible stopping places along the way that could hold records on a local level today. I wish you great success on your research and thanks for your comment.

[@scott236]

Oh, the great wagon road went by wilkes County NC?

[@travisbaldwin2479]

What offshoot of the Great Wagon Road would have run from Roanoke to Lewisburg to Charleston WV?

[@piedmonttrails]

I'm not sure what timeline you are looking at, but a route did not leave from Roanoke that traveled directly to the Lewisburg area until the mid-18th century. The first known route that we are aware of departs near Cow Pasture River and cuts across to the west. Curious to know what timeline you are researching. Thank you so much for the question and I hope you Enjoy Your Journey to the Past!