The town of New Concord was laid out in 1827 and incorporated in 1838. Early settlers may have come from nearby Concord Pennsylvannia, which was soon renamed “Old Concord.” Muskingum College was established in 1837. Today Muskingham University has about 1500 students and New Concord has a population of about 2500.
Transportation has been one nof the key factors in the establishment of “Concords” all across the country. Most of these small towns sprang up in proximity to railroad lines, but New Concord, Ohio was established as a terminus to The National Highway or Cumberland Road. The turnpike was the first road built by the federal government.
From 1806 to 1838, Congress spent $6.8 million for surveys, acquisition, grading, stone surfacing, and bridge building for a road that would run east -west from Cumberland, Maryland through New York into Ohio and eventually out to Indiana and Illinois. Much of the road followed existing trails established by native Americans or should I say the buffalo that followed the same migration paths for thousands of years in search of salt licks and grazing lands. So the Native Americans followed the buffalo, and the early European settlers followed the Indian trails, and these were converted to plank roads and turnpikes that opened up the midwest to farmers who found soils enriched by buffalo dung deposited over the milenia.
The town of New Concord was laid out in 1827 and incorporated in 1838. Early settlers may have come from nearby Concord Pennsylvannia, which was soon renamed “Old Concord.” Muskingum College was established in 1837. Today Muskingham University has about 1500 students and New Concord has a population of about 2500.
The building of the National Turnpike transformed Ohio. Early settlers had no means to transport their grain to market, so much of the grain was converted into whiskey which was hauled by mules back East. With the construction of the National Turnpike, Ohio's population grew from 50,000 in 1803 to 1,980,000 by 1850. Ohio became the third most populated state.
From 1806 to 1838, Congress spent $6.8 million for surveys, acquisition, grading, stone surfacing, and bridge building for a road that would run east -west from Cumberland, Maryland through New York into Ohio and eventually out to Indiana and Illinois. Much of the road followed existing trails established by native Americans or should I say the buffalo that followed the same migration paths for thousands of years in search of salt licks and grazing lands. So the Native Americans followed the buffalo, and the early European settlers followed the Indian trails, and these were converted to plank roads and turnpikes that opened up the midwest to farmers who found soils enriched by buffalo dung deposited over the milenia.
The town of New Concord was laid out in 1827 and incorporated in 1838. Early settlers may have come from nearby Concord Pennsylvannia, which was soon renamed “Old Concord.” Muskingum College was established in 1837. Today Muskingham University has about 1500 students and New Concord has a population of about 2500.
The building of the National Turnpike transformed Ohio. Early settlers had no means to transport their grain to market, so much of the grain was converted into whiskey which was hauled by mules back East. With the construction of the National Turnpike, Ohio's population grew from 50,000 in 1803 to 1,980,000 by 1850. Ohio became the third most populated state.
In New Concord, the National Highway had to cross a small river, the Fox Run. Bridges were built perpendicular to flow of the river, but since the National Highway was laid out to cross the river at an angle, the bridge was built in an “S” shape. This was a fairly common practice and there were once dozens of “S” bridges. Most of these bridges were torn down and replaced when automobile traffic took over the roads. The best surviving S Bridge is in New Concord. Today, The Fox Run S bridge is a roadside attraction, a pedestrian bridge, that runs next to Route 40.
Mile marker on the Old National Highway.
Atop the Fox Run S-Bridge
Like many southern Ohio towns, New Concord is proud of its antislavery history as a documented stop on the Underground Railroad.
Hanging out on the porch of the childhood home ofJohn Glenn.
In 1962, test pilot, John Glenn, was first American to orbit the earth. Glenn went to New Concord HighsSchool and then Muskingum College. He kept a home in New Concord throughout much of his lifetime. Glenn served as a US senator for 25 years before becoming the oldest astronaut ever to reach orbital space during his trip on the space shuttle in 1998.
In 1962, test pilot, John Glenn, was first American to orbit the earth. Glenn went to New Concord HighsSchool and then Muskingum College. He kept a home in New Concord throughout much of his lifetime. Glenn served as a US senator for 25 years before becoming the oldest astronaut ever to reach orbital space during his trip on the space shuttle in 1998.