Phyllis, I thought maybe it was because the National Road was being opened up in the 1830s. I know it went through Licking County around Newark (it came through PA & Wheeling and was financed by the US government) and found its way into Columbus. We traveled from Newark to Columbus on the #16 which I believe was part/near the original road when we visited in February (we are from California). Someone on another list said that their was a drought in Northern Virginia in the early 1830s and that could have been a reason, as well as cheap land and military grants. Chocy