I thought this was interesting it is about the first road in Indiana which runs through Jackson County. Read on below
Bill,
I will try to find some graphic that I can send you later.
But that could take some time so:
(The area north of Brownstown was very difficult to discover. It took months
of research At one point I thought the road near Corland and the river had
been destroyed. The original 1822 survey map was of little use near
Cortland.
An 1850 Jackson county map, I got at the history library in Brownstown
finally gave me enough infomation to find the route).
I will give you the information I have in this e-mail. So you can mark it on
your own detailed Jackson County map.
--------------------------------------------
The old road entered Jackson County north from Hwy 11. (Hwy 11 North to
Columbus is the old Mauxferry Road.)
Take hwy 11 south from hwy 46 to I65 (do not cross the White River) there is
a road on the right (875N, that was the old 31 when old hwy 31 used the
Rockford bridge). This is the Mauxferry Road.
(The original road 875N, on an 1850 county map continued straight across
Jackson county section 36 to today's 575E. The road has been removed, west
of 700E.
I wonder if the state of Indiana still owns the land that the farmer is
using?).
But today, you must turn south onto 700E going south to 800N.
Turn right onto 800N and travel west until you get To 550E, this is the old
Cortland Pike. Go to Cortland.
Note the Mauxferry road originally can all the way into the four corner
intersection of Cortland, per an 1850 Jackson County map.
Go south out of Cortland on 400E.
This road will follow the river to the Sheildstown covered bridge.
(Note: there are still logs in the water that were placed there in 1823 as
part of the Mauxferry Road river crossing, You can still see them when the
river is low).
From covered bridge, go up the hill to Brownstown.
--------------------------------------------
South of Brownstone you need to do your own research.
The Mauxferry Road followed the old trail road to Brownstown from the south
- which is the old route.135.
But today, the Indiana highway engineers have straighter the road making
some parts different from the original old trail.
--------------------------------------------
A word about how the Mauxferry Road was built may be helpful.
The road is long - 125 miles long, no small road and a major achievement in
pioneer Indiana in 1822-1824.
----------------------------------------------
The lower part of the road follows the old "trail roads" built before the
land was surveyed.
So the road looks like snake paths. This is as far north as Brownstown.
---------------------------------------------
North of Brownstown it was a new road route, following survey lines (very
clear near Cortland).
---------------------------------------------
The far north section above Columbus is mostly "straight as an arrow"
because the land was no surveyed in 1822, when the new road was planned
(river and streams seemed the only concern).
--------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoy using the information for you bicycle tour and that you
share this historic road information with others in Jackson County.
Note. the people in the Cortland school are totally clueless about how close
the historic road is to their school.
Thanks,
Matt Nicholson
B2 Bikes & Boards
535 South Jackson Park Drive
Seymour, IN 47274
(812) 524~7433
www.rideb2.com
www.rideb2.com/jcbc
rideb2@...
**************
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