At President Thomas Jefferson’s urging, Congress approved the first federally funded “National Road” to connect Cumberland, MD with Wheeling, WV on the Ohio River. Lorna’s talk was about the privately owned toll roads (called “pikes”) which connected Baltimore with Cumberland, MD and the “National Road” to the Ohio River. Difficulties were made easy by turnpikes that made communication and trade easier. Turnpike requirements were: surface (not be washed away by weather ), width, grade, and mile makers made of stone. Toll amounts were regulated, and fines and punishments were imposed for toll jumpers. The first McCadam road (named for its inventor) was from Boonsboro to Hagerstown, MD. The road bed was made of three specified sizes of stone. The largest stones were laid first, then the middle size, and last the small stones, so the road would withstand all types of weather.