ROADS AND FERRIES In the early days roads were constructed by commissioners appointed to lay out and maintain certain designated roads by act of the general assembly. The commissioners were authorized to call upon all able-bodied men living within a certain number of miles of the proposed road for assisting in building and maintaining the road. The area of service was delineated by the specific legislative act. The practical result of this system was that the commissioners called upon the landowners of the vicinity to furnish slaves to work on the roads, and the condition of the roads naturally varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. The earliest roads in Newberry District were the old River Road, authorized in 1765, which paralleled the Broad River from Gordon's Fort on Enoree to Moses Kirkland's on Saluda; the old Bush River Road, authorized in 1768, form Orangeburg to Kelly and Milhous's ferry on Saluda, and the to Rayburn's Creek in Lauren's; the Ninety Six Road, authorized in 1770, running between Indian Island ford and Hendrick's mill on Enoree and serving as a boundary between Newberry and Laurens districts; and the road from Saluda Old Town to Reedy River, also authorized in 1770. Numerous other roads were opened in Newberry District and all sections of the area were connected to the courthouse as well appear from Marmaduke Coate's Map of the District made in 1820. In 1827 the Western Turnpike Company was empowered by legislative act to construct a toll turnpike from the lower fork by Spring Hill to Newberry Courthouse and thence to the main road between the Black Jack Tavern and Laurensville. Numerous ferries were chartered over the Saluda, Broad, Enoree and Tyger rivers. Bridges were authorized over the Saluda at Chappells as early as 1792; over the Enoree at Henderson's in 1805; and over the Tyger at Sims' as early as 1809. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com