Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike

Engineered by Claudius Crozet through the mountainous terrain, it was a toll road partially funded by the Virginia Board of Public Works.

The area which was once considered Virginia was much larger during the Colonial Period, extending west to include much of the other current states of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania before the American Revolutionary War.

Jamestown was selected for establishment of the first permanent English settlement in the Colony based upon its strategic location on the James River.

However, after colonist John Rolfe cultivated a successful strain of tobacco, the product emerged beginning in 1612 as a profitable export crop for the colony.

Soon plantations with wharfs were located along both sides of that river and others in the coastal plain region of the eastern part of the state.

This was easier done in the less rugged coastal plain of the Tidewater region and Piedmont terrain east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which formed a formidable barrier to the west.

After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, an acquisition by the United States of most of the land along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, about 530,000,000 acres (828,000 sq mi or 2,100,000 km2) of territory, the portions of this area along navigable waterways were settled by Americans moving west and immigrants, mostly English and other northern Europeans, gradually squeezing out the Native Americans in the process.

The investments needed to build the infrastructure and operating expenses to maintain them Turnpikes were among the earlier solutions to crossing the land areas where canals where not practical, such as the mountains.

Of the many people who helped build Virginia's transportation infrastructure, the most important individual may have been French-born civil engineer Claudius Crozet (1789–1864).

This work is well documented in the archives of the Library of Virginia in Richmond, with some items including maps available for viewing online.

Most of the projects of the Board of Public Works occurred before the American Civil War, which decimated Virginia financially.

"[4] Crozet settled on a route that passed west of Staunton through the tiny village of Monterey, in Highland County.

As the route winds through the mountainous terrain, there are many switchbacks and loops designed by Crozet as he attempted to meet the 4% maximum grade standard.

In this area, the road passes near modern attractions such as the Green Bank Observatory and Cass Scenic Railroad, and the communities of Bartow, Frank, and Durbin.

Most historians are in agreement that slavery was the biggest issue of the conflict in the United States that led to the American Civil War (1861–1865).

Most immigrants had come from Pennsylvania in the 18th century and included Germans; Protestant Ulster-Scots, the largest group by far from the British Isles before the American Revolution; and settlers from states farther north.

In 1776, settlers presented a petition for the establishment of "Westsylvania" to Congress, on the grounds that the mountains made an almost impassable barrier on the east.

However, the conflicts between regions were never resolved within Virginia, nor separate state formed, until the American Civil War broke out.

The pro-northern government authorized the creation of the state of Kanawha, consisting of most of the counties that now comprise West Virginia.

The harsh winter conditions in the mountain climate convinced the leaders of both armies to move on, and they were soon involved in Stonewall Jackson's Valley campaign.

Much of this had originated in investments made by the Board of Public Works, including improvements such as this turnpike by then located chiefly in West Virginia.

The state and local communities have developed resources to assist travelers and tourist attractions to appeal to a wide range of interests.