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We have seen in our document a reference to the Quakers moving from their first meeting (log) house property on land which would later be called the Sears farm “because of the new road” and we haven’t addressed that. Using maps and historical evidence, we see how the progress of our country affected the daily lives of our ancestors; indeed, affected the descendants who can no longer visit the graves of their families who are buried in cemeteries long ago plowed over, or which have completely deteriorated, or which have never been properly documented. This is a point well taken when we refer to “the new road.” Changes in Ohio RoadsThe National Road, soon to be labeled as Route 40, is currently seen as Route 70, with alternate old Route 40 running alongside in places. This road was early America’s busiest land artery to the West. The National Road stretched from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois. Begun in 1811, the “Main Street of America” was the only significant land link between east coast and western frontier in the early 19th century.55 It was also called the Great National Pike and the Cumberland Road. By 1817, it was being used as far west as Wheeling, (West) Virginia, and by mail coaches from Washington by 1818. Most of it followed the Nemacolin Path and Braddock’s Road from Cumberland Road. To see how this impacted Ohio, and particularly Freeport Township, we see the National Road reaching from Wheeling, West Virginia in a westerly direction through Columbus, Ohio. When passing the proximity of Freeport, Ohio, we see that the current State Highway 800 (part of the Old Route 8 north-south path) enters Freeport at the northeast corner of the village, circles westerly into and around the perimeter to the southern point of Freeport, and travels on, almost directly south, to connect to The National Road (40) (70) about three miles west of Hendrysburg in Kirkwood Township, Harrison County, Ohio. Almost as soon as State Highway 800 enters northern Freeport (approximately 350 yards into the village), Map 212-02 we see County Road 10 branching from it starting a curve to the east-southeast, and it passes immediately below Greenmont Union Cemetery. At that point (on the current county engineer’s road map, 1994-1995,56 you have arrived at the railroad track) you may drive on three miles to connect with the old Piedmont Road in the next township, and on, east, to Moorefield and Cadiz; or you can veer left onto town road T-306 east by northeast which is also called Cummins Road. If you take Cummins Road from the railroad track and travel 2/10 of a mile, you will come to the driveway of the Cummins farm property which is on a hill top. Beyond the house and buildings, high upon the hill, is the former site of what used to be the first Quaker (Boone-Sears) Cemetery, and its meeting house and school.
I previously mentioned John Simpson's history of Old Route 8. You can sit back and visualize Map 222 and read the history History 221 of Route 8.
Old Diary Writes Of Sears VisitBefore we close this story, we have information from an old 1819 diary57 belonging to one Dr. Richard E. Mason which describes his trip which originated in Maryland and would end in Illinois. I picked him up in his diary where he is describing his trip from Pittsburgh, and across the Ohio River at Steubenville. He talked of passing through a little village of Cadiz and on to Freeport.
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