Old Wire Road
Encyclopedia
The Old Wire Road is a historic road in Missouri
and Arkansas
. Several local roads are still called this. It followed an old Native American route, the Great Osage Trail
across the Ozarks and became a road along a telegraph line from St. Louis, Missouri
to Fort Smith, Arkansas
. This route was also used by the Butterfield Overland Mail
. It was known as the "Wire Road" while the telegraph line was up, but when the line was later removed, it simply became known as the "Old Wire Road". In St. Louis, where the road begins at Jefferson Barracks, it is called Telegraph Road. From St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri
, it became designated Route 14 (which, in turn, later became U.S. Route 66 and still later Interstate 44).
At Springfield, it turned southwest and passed through what is now Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
. From the Battlefield it meandered southwest through Christian
and Stone
Counties in Missouri towards the Arkansas state line. It passed near Pea Ridge, Arkansas
to Fayetteville, Arkansas
, on its way to Fort Smith, Arkansas.
It was used as part of the Trail of Tears
and during the Civil War, when Confederate soldiers often cut the telegraph line.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Several local roads are still called this. It followed an old Native American route, the Great Osage Trail
Great Osage Trail
The Great Osage Trail, also known as the Osage Trace or the Kaw Trace was one of the more well-known Native American trails through the countryside of what are today called the Midwest and Plains States of the U.S., pathways originally created by herds of Buffalo or other migrating wildlife .The...
across the Ozarks and became a road along a telegraph line from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. This route was also used by the Butterfield Overland Mail
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
. It was known as the "Wire Road" while the telegraph line was up, but when the line was later removed, it simply became known as the "Old Wire Road". In St. Louis, where the road begins at Jefferson Barracks, it is called Telegraph Road. From St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, it became designated Route 14 (which, in turn, later became U.S. Route 66 and still later Interstate 44).
At Springfield, it turned southwest and passed through what is now Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield at 6424 West Farm Road 182 near Republic, Missouri, preserves the site of the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Fought on August 10, 1861, it was the first major American Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi River. The Confederate's failure to exploit their...
. From the Battlefield it meandered southwest through Christian
Christian County, Missouri
Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes...
and Stone
Stone County, Missouri
Stone County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 32,202. Its county seat is Galena...
Counties in Missouri towards the Arkansas state line. It passed near Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Pea Ridge is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The name Pea Ridge comes from a combination of the physical location of the original settlement of the town, across the crest of an Ozark Mountains ridge, and for the hog peanuts or turkey peas that had been originally cultivated by...
to Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, on its way to Fort Smith, Arkansas.
It was used as part of the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
and during the Civil War, when Confederate soldiers often cut the telegraph line.