Perspective: Transportation evolution in Cole County

Today, we take our streets, roads and highways for granted; our automobiles and trucks are a necessity to our existence. We couldn't survive without them!

As Cole County celebrates its bicentennial and MoDOT marks its centennial, we can look back at how transportation has changed and evolved over the last 200 years.

In 1820, when Cole County was created, the rivers were the main means of transportation across the territory. The Missouri River was the principle byway from St. Louis to the west. Marion became our first seat of government because of its location on the Missouri River, its proximity to Boonville and Franklin and its ferry to cross the river. A courthouse and jail were built by 1823, and the town included a mercantile, tavern and distillery. It was a small prosperous community serviced by the river.

When Missouri was admitted into the Union in 1821, the state Legislature decreed the Capitol should be established on the Missouri River within 40 miles of the Osage River. Howard's Bluff on the south side of the Missouri River was selected, and in 1825 became the City of Jefferson City. Once again, the river byways were the primary source of transportation. Keelboats, canoes and the arrival of steamboats became the main means of travel and commerce. As Missouri grew and communities popped up away from the rivers, trails became crude roads and turnpikes that connected them. These were poorly maintained roads of dirt or corduroy (beds of cut logs), and stagecoaches carrying passengers and mail became important. Stagecoaches connected St. Louis to Jefferson City, and Stringtown in Cole County started as a stagecoach shop.

Railroads came in to Cole County beginning in the 1850s, and with loans by the state, the Pacific Railroad was to build a railroad across Missouri from east to west. By 1855, the railroad had almost reached Jefferson City. On Nov. 2, 1855, a celebration was planned at the Capitol for the arrival of the first train from St. Louis. The crowds waited and waited, but the train didn't come. Finally, a steamboat was dispatched to follow the tracks and discovered the trestle across the Gasconade River had collapsed with the train, and 31 passengers were killed.

Railroads did grow across Missouri and Cole County with the Union Pacific, the Rock Island and the Bagnell Branch. Railroads were the most efficient and easiest way to get around because our roads were still rutted and often muddy dirt roads. As late as the early 1900s, Jefferson Citians attending the St. Martin's Parish Picnic would ride the train to Elston where carriages would convey them to and from the picnic. Today, St. Martins is a suburb of Jefferson City, easily accessible by wonderfully paved multi-lane highways.

Our first government-funded highways were conceived by President Thomas Jefferson in 1808. He proposed a continuous road joining the eastern states, beginning in Baltimore, with the new territories of the United States, ending in St. Louis. Ths became the "National Road," and construction began in 1815 and was completed in 1830. The first section was Baltimore to the Cumberland Gap, Cumberland to Wheeling, Wheeling to Columbus, Columbus to Vandalia and Vandalia to St. Louis.

Engineers and Scots-Irish construction crews built the National Road. It consisted of an 80-foot unpaved right of way with roadway capable of supporting Conestoga wagons and cattle herds.

Jefferson City and Cole County roads remained dirt until the late 1880s when streets in uptown Jefferson City were paved with brick. Street cars were the main means of transportation in the city, along with horses and horse-drawn wagons. In 1896, the Jefferson Bridge and Transit Company built the first bridge across the Missouri River. Street cars also crossed the bridge to pick up passengers at the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad depot in Cedar City. In 1890, wagon turnpikes radiated out of Jefferson City for a total of 30 miles, and Cole County had an additional 200 miles of dirt roads. The coming of the automobile created the need for better roads and streets.

This November is the actual bicentennial of Cole County, as well as the centennial of the Missouri Highway Department. In 1920, the citizens of our state approved a $60 million bond issue to "get Missouri out of the mud." Cole County passed a $300,000 bond issue to help build bridges over the Osage and Gasconade rivers, which up until then could only be crossed by ferries. Most rivers in Cole County were crossed by ferry, and St. Thomas was our last community to get a bridge. Special road districts were established to maintain Cole County roads until the Cole County Public Works was created in the late 1960s.

Highways 50, 54 and 63 existed before they were absorbed into the Missouri State Highway System. Highways 50 and 63 became state roads in 1921 and Highway 54 in 1927. They were all graded earth roads with gravel surfaces. Over time, they were paved with portland cement.

After World War II as more automobiles hit the roads, these highways have been widened, asphalted and made dual lanes.

Cole County has changed greatly over 200 years, and we no longer have to travel by boat, horse or train. In the morning, we climb into our car, turn on the radio and the air, and drive the 10 or 15 minutes to work. Stop and think how long it would have taken our ancestors to travel this distance!

Happy bicentennial, Cole County, and happy centennial, MoDOT!

Sources: "History of Jefferson City 1821-1938" by James E. Ford, "The National Road" edited by Karl Raitz, and Tyler Holiday, historic preservation specialist, MoDOT.

Sam Bushman is the presiding commissioner on the Cole County Commission. He shares his perspective each month on county issues. He can be reached at [email protected].