The Roads to White Haven
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Settlement in St. Louis County first occurred along the three main thoroughfares out from the city: Gravois to the southwest, Manchester to the west, and Natural Bridge to the northwest. Railroad development paralleled the Mississippi River to the north and south, and the Meramec River to the west. After the Civil War secondary roads and branch railroads rapidly developed.Men preparing a dirt road for macadamizationImproved Travel
Although Gravois Road would not lose its importance as a main thoroughfare, the expansion of the Pacific Railroad greatly increased the ease and speed of travel to White Haven and neighboring communities. In 1872, Grant deeded an easement through his property to help establish the Carondelet Branch of the Pacific Railroad. In addition to the right-of-way, he also provided acreage near Gravois Road for a station that was named for the President. Trains became the mainstay of passenger travel with small stations dotting the landscape.Early Travel
Grant first traveled to White Haven on horseback down Gravois Road, then a dirt road stretching from St. Louis to Fenton. By 1854, laborers macadamized the road with a bed of heavy rock covered with a layer of tar and smaller gravel. Farmers selling crops in the city paid a toll to use the "improved" road. During hot summer months, the tar melted and the road became badly rutted from heavy wagons.
Marker can be reached from Grant Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
