Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike

The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike was built in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia during the second quarter of the 19th century to provide a roadway from Staunton and the upper Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio River at present-day Parkersburg. Engineered by Claudius Crozet through the mountainous terrain, it was a toll road partially funded by the Virginia Board of Public Works. Control of this road became crucial during the American Civil War.

Today, the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike can be travelled following Route 47 east from Parkersburg to Linn, then Route 33 east through Weston and Buckhannon to Elkins, then Route 250 south through Beverly and Huttonsville, crossing the West Virginia/Virginia state line to Staunton, Virginia.

The area which was once considered Virginia was much larger during the Colonial Period, extending west to include much of the other current states of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania before the American Revolutionary War. During the next 75 years, as part of the United States, the area which is now West Virginia had also been part of Virginia. During the American Civil War, on June 20, 1863, West Virginia officially became a separate state.

For the settlers in the Virginia Colony which preceded statehood (1607–1776), commerce and travel followed navigable waterways and traditional Native American (American Indian) trails. The natives had long sought the routes of greatest ease, and the newcomers did likewise.

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Wikipedia