When the National Road was surveyed from Cumberland, Maryland, to St. Louis, the straight line took the road about eight miles north of here. Great efforts were made to have it built through town, and Joseph Barnett and Morris Seely were sent to Washington to see if the route could not be changed. The principal objection raised by the Springfield delegation, that the road would not then be a straight line, carried weight, and their effort was not successful. The citizens of Dayton, and those on the road between Dayton and Springfield, then formed the Dayton and Springfield Turnpike Company, and subscribed sufficient money to build a turnpike from Dayton to tap the National Road just this side of the corporation of Spring-field. Jonathan Harshman, Joseph Barnett, John Kniesly, Charles Hagenbaugh, Valentine Winters, and Peter Aughenbaugh were the board of directors, Mr. Harshman president, Joseph Barnett secretary, Valentine Winters treasurer, and John F. Edgar  collector. The books were opened for subscriptions on January 19, 1838, and the contract let May 12.  This road was subsequently connected with the National Road at Richmond, by the Dayton and Western Turnpike Company.