Fincastle Turnpike
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The Fincastle Turnpike, also known as the "Fincastle and Blue Ridge Turnpike Company", was approved in 1834 by the Virginia General Assembly to maintain a toll turnpike that followed part of the
Wilderness Road The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other ...
from
Fincastle, Virginia Fincastle is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 755 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Botetourt County. It is part of the Roanoke metropolitan area. History The town of Fincastle was originally ...
, to the
Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a Mountain pass, pass in the Eastern United States, eastern United States through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains and near the tripoint of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. At&n ...
. The Fincastle Turnpike also connected Narrows, Virginia and
Tazewell, Virginia Tazewell () is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,627 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County. History Na ...
along the way to the Cumberland Gap, following roughly what is today parts of
Virginia State Route 42 State Route 42 (SR 42) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Running parallel to and west of Interstate 81, SR 42 consists of three sections, with gaps filled by secondary routes in between. Some of SR 42 lies along the ol ...
and
Virginia State Route 61 State Route 61 (SR 61) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from SR 16 in Tazewell east to U.S. Route 460 (US 460) in Narrows. SR 61 passes through several narrow creek valleys as it parallels t ...
.


Toll road

With the increase in commerce during the 1830s, Virginia increased the length and number of roads and turnpikes in the state. The Fincastle Turnpike was envisioned to assist commerce between the far southwestern parts of the state that were partially isolated due to difficult road conditions. In order to keep costs low, each county that the Fincastle Turnpike passed through was responsible for maintaining and improving their section. The turnpike passed through Botetourt County,
Craig County, Virginia Craig County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,892. Its county seat is New Castle. Craig County is part of the Roanoke metropolitan area. History Nestled in the mountains of S ...
,
Giles County, Virginia Giles County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Virginia on the West Virginia state line. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 16,787. Its county seat is Pearisburg, Virginia, Pearis ...
,
Bland County, Virginia Bland County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county seat is the unincorporated area of Bland. At the 2020 census, the population was 6,270. Bland County was created in 1861 from parts of ...
,
Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropoli ...
,
Russell County, Virginia Russell County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,781. Its county seat is Lebanon. History On January 2, 1786, Russell County was established from a section of Washington Cou ...
and then rejoined the
Wilderness Road The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other ...
in
Scott County, Virginia Scott County is a county located in the far southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia, on the border with Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. Its county seat is Gate City. Scott County was formed by an act of ...
and
Lee County, Virginia Lee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,173. Its county seat is Jonesville. History The area of far western Virginia and eastern Kentucky supported large Arch ...
. Improvements were not only applied to the road, but to ordinaries and inns along the turnpike as well. In Botetourt County, an account along the route states: "The Fincastle-Blue Ridge Turnpike was completed in 1835, connecting to the Lynchburg-Salem Turnpike over the mountain through Black Horse Gap. Joseph and Polly operated the White Horse Stagecoach Inn on their farm, housing and feeding many Turnpike travelers." The turnpike was over 248 miles long, and the basic improvements were not completed until 1841. The entire length of the wagon turnpike was to have a standard width of at least eighteen feet, with the center of the road at least eighteen inches higher than either side along the horizontal line, allowing for the runoff of rain and snow. Soft spots in the roadbed could not exceed 5% of the length of each section. The Commonwealth retained $2,752.00 worth of stock in the Fincastle And Blue Ridge Turnpike Company. Until the 1850s, in
Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropoli ...
, the Fincastle Turnpike was the principal thoroughfare used by the farmers for sending their products to the eastern markets. Everything purchased in the eastern counties for consumption in Tazewell were sent there over the turnpike. Cattle droves in the thousands were herded up and down the turnpike as the farmers sent their cattle to market in eastern and northern Virginia.


Collapse

Many of the counties simply refused to maintain the turnpike. Constant bickering and arguments over the turnpike made political cooperation between and within the counties impossible. Tolls stops were expected every fifteen miles, but disputes about rates, contracted toll collections, bonded debt for construction and excess funds returned to the Commonwealth made the turnpike unworkable. By 1846, it was recognized that a standardized turnpike could not be cooperatively maintained through this part of Virginia. The turnpike roadbed was turned over to the various counties by the state, and alternate and less argumentative routes were proposed. "Shortly after turning the Fincastle Turnpike over to the counties the state authorized the construction of the Southwest Turnpike from
Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combine ...
to
Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the Twin cities (geographical proxi ...
, thus bypassing the counties that refused to support the Fincastle Turnpike. The Southwest Turnpike survives today as
Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...
."Fincastle Turnpike: History and Heritage


References


Bibliography

* Botetourt County 1770-1970. Roanoke, Va: Roanoke Historical Society, 1970. Journal of the Roanoke Historical Society, v. 6, no. 2. Turnpike through Botetourt. by Edmund P. Goodwin.
"The County's First Highway."
Johnson, Charles A. 1988. A Narrative History of Wise County, Virginia. Pages 67–77. This chapter also includes the text of the original acts of the General Assembly for the surveying and construction of the turnpike. * Schreiner-Yantis, Netti. Archives of the Pioneers of Tazewell County, Virginia. Springfield, VA: N. Schreiner-Yantis, 1992. Notes: Originally published 1973. Reprinted 1992, with map insert ("flyleaf"): Fincastle-Cumberland Gap Turnpike, containing names referenced in the index. Description: 345 pages: illustrations, genealogical tables, maps; 29 cm + 1 map. * "The Turnpikes of Southwest Virginia." 2002. Journal, History Museum & Historical Society of Western Virginia. Volume 15. Page 29 et seq. * Virginia. Fincastle and Blue Ridge Turnpike Company Records. 1833. Abstract: The records contain letters sent, field notes (1833), 1 vol., map, n.d., reports, lists of stockholders, certificates of stock subscriptions, and contracts. {{refend


External links


Fincastle Loop

Fincastle Turnpike
Wilderness Road- Virginia's Heritage Migration Route. Historic trails and roads in Virginia