The rough topographical nature of western Virginia imposed severe impediments to Clarksburg's early growth which had to be overcome by arduous labor and native ingenuity. With formidable mountains blocking direct access to the eastern seaboard it was necessary to chose a roundabout route following the Braddock Road through southern Pennsylvania to the Monongahela River, thence up the Monongahela and West Fork Rivers to Clarksburg. Until completion of the Northwestern Turnpike in 1838, heavy materials and many new residents made their entry by this route. It was the only way by which ornate millwork and furnishings for the more pretentious homes and public buildings could be transported. And primitive, as it now seems, it was more comfortable, especially for women and children, than riding horseback or trekking over rough mountain trails.

     Upon reaching the Monongahela both passengers and freight were transferred from the. roomy wagons to smaller two wheeled carts which using the river bed as a roadway, proceeded upstream to their destination. These rivers in their natural state were non navigable. Pools of slowly running water ranging in length from a few rods to several miles alternated with shallow, rocky, rapid flowing shoals of varying length. Except during time of high water or extremely" cold weather, these streams served their purpose very well. When a pool too deep for the carts was encountered t both carts and oxen were loaded .on log rafts and propelled upstream to the end of of the pool (by manpower wielding long poles) where shallow water allowed the oxen to again take over. An occasional pool was too deep to be negotiated by the carts but too short to make ferrying feasible. At such places a. makeshift roadway would be dug out of" the hill: side around the pool. These projects were the first documented evidence of man made roads anywhere in the upper Monongahela basin.

     When a series of small pools and shoals came in close succession dams were constructed, raising the water level to a point where a navigable pool sometimes several miles in length was formed. Oxen drawing the carts to the higher levels served in place" of conventional locks. These rudimentary engineering projects were the fore runners of more elaborate navigational facilities constructed in later years, some of which are still in use. A similar combination of ox carts and stream beds of the numerous West Fork tributaries converging in the vicinity of Clarksburg was used for arteries of communication as the surrounding wilderness was settled and cleared. Although these shallower tributaries did not require ferrying as did the larger streams.

     Although it took four or five carts to contain the load from one wagon the reason for changing when the river was reached were compelling. The wagons were long and heavy with comparatively small wheels which made them unwieldy on the rock strewn stream beds. Because of their low road clearance, water above belly deep to the oxen was deep enough to flood the cargo. The high wheels of the carts would keep the pay load high and dry long after a depth was reached where footing for the oxen would have been lost. A cart's wheel base was zero enabling it to change direction or turn about on the proverbial dime giving it a maneuverability possessed by no four wheeled vehicle. Because of weather vagaries schedules for river-travel were erratic. High water halted all upstream movement but gave impetus to that going down. Flat boats carrying cargo rode: the flood as far as Pittsburgh where they were unloaded and sold for lumber. Upon reaching Clarksburg, oxen were rested until the next high water when they, would be loaded on flat boats for the ride back to their home base and the journey upstream would be repeated. Around '1825, the Monongahela Navigation Company (a private enterprise) was chartered and built a series of damson the West Fork between the Monongehela and Clarksburg, giving a continuous, year around water way for the flat boats and barges of that time. These dams, nine in number, had no locks. Which meant laborious portaging of cargo when transferring from one level to another. To minimize the toil of these portages, uniquely constructed wagons were loaded with freight and rolled onto the barges. When a dam was encountered oxen were used to haul the wagons around the dam for reloading on other barges and the trip continued. This scheme closely paralleled the modern piggyback system used by tractor trailers and rail roads. Live stock to populate the ever increasing farms and compact. merchandise continued to be brought in over the old Indian trails. Time consumed in making the trip by either route was from many days to several weeks, requiring stops for rest and refreshment. To cater these modest needs of comfort settlements sprang up at convenient intervals. Once those modes of travel had been superseded most of• these settlements vanished but a few remain as permanent communities. In view of the hard ships and inconveniences they endured it is small wonder that Clarksburgers were exasperated by the lethargic movement of Congress to construct a federal highway from the eastern seaboard through this part of Virginia, to country beyond the Ohio.

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