The National Road, aka US 40, in Putnam County, Indiana, is an old friend. I first documented it in 2006 and have visited several times in the years since. What I like about it is all of the old alignments of the road you’ll find there, with pavement that’s now pushing 100 years old.

The first is about halfway between Mt. Meridian and US 231. You can’t drive it anymore, as it’s on private property. It’s a short segment of brick pavement, the only such pavement left that was part of US 40 in Indiana. I failed to find it on my recent bike trip across Indiana, but I found it on an earlier trip and documented it here.

The next is between US 231 and Putnamville at Deer Creek. There you’ll find a bridge over the creek, and leading away from it a long stretch of concrete pavement. I documented this segment in detail here and here, and shared a 1928 photo of the bridge here. This photo is westbound from the bridge.

Old US 40 concrete alignment with bridge, Putnam Co.

This photo is eastbound towards the bridge

Old US 40 concrete alignment with bridge, Putnam Co.

The next old alignment is just west of Putnamville, and it runs through the grounds of the Putnamville Correctional Facility. Here’s where it emerges from under current US 40, its concrete face still showing.

Old alignment US 40/NR at Putnamville Correctional Facility

This road is used within the prison and was covered over with asphalt at some point.

Old alignment US 40/NR at Putnamville Correctional Facility

A little west of Manhattan is a short concrete road signed as CR 775 S.

Short concrete old alignment

You’ll find a confluence of old alignments near Reelsville. One of them is gravel, and I didn’t want to ride my bike on it. The rest is concrete. I’ve documented the Reelsville alignments extensively here. The paved portion is in two segments. Here’s a photo from the east segment. This was originally a concrete road but it was paved over in asphalt.

Old US 40/NR alignment near Reelsville

Concrete remains on the west segment. It gets very little use and is well overgrown. It looks abandoned.

Old US 40/NR alignment near Reelsville

There’s a bridge back here, over Big Walnut Creek.

Old US 40/NR alignment near Reelsville

This is quite a difference from the character of the modern highway in Putnam County!

US 40 WB Putnam Co.

I’ve driven the National Road from its beginning in Baltimore, MD to its end in Vandaila, IL. To read everything I’ve ever written about it, click here.

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Comments

6 responses to “The original paths of the National Road and US 40 in Putnam County, Indiana”

  1. J P Avatar

    I remain amazed at how some of that old concrete stays in such good shape when we see lots of examples of concrete that is maybe 30 years old that is reverting to gravel. I imagine that it was heavily used in the era before road salt became common and then avoided salting after it became disused. Or maybe the stuff was made differently.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I think lack of salt is probably right. These concrete alignments haven’t been US 40 since about 1940 and probably get little or no attention in the winter.

  2. Greg Clawson Avatar
    Greg Clawson

    Jim, you do a wonderful job of photographing, documenting, and researching these old roads and alignments for posterity.
    Someday they will be very useful for history buffs. It is amazing how much things change in just a few decades.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I truly hope these images are useful some day.

  3. Douglas Hymer Avatar
    Douglas Hymer

    Love the ” Old National Road” pictures across Indiana. My old childhood stomping grounds.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      All still there, waiting for you to visit!

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