In the mid-1730s, my husband's
McClure family (so-called Scots-Irish) sailed across the Atlantic and landed in Philadelphia. They then made their way south to Virginia to settle down and farm. They were among the many immigrants who, over time, walked the
Great Wagon Road.
No wonder I was drawn to the recent nonfiction book by James Dodson, The Road That Made America.
Subtitled "A modern pilgrim's journey on the Great Wagon Road," this well-written book is both popular history and memoir--an informative and irresistible combination.
A professional writer with deep ancestral roots along the GWR, Dodson often heard his father and other relatives tell stories about earlier generations who walked this road and settled nearby. Eventually, he decides to explore the areas suspected to be part of the road, driving his vintage station wagon through six states over the course of several years.
Dodson visits historians, reenactors, scholars, and locals who speak of family history, local heroes, colorful characters, and important places entwined with events that shaped America, such as the battle of Paoli.
Dodson also discusses his family's history, including the unproven but persistent legend that his great-grandmother was Native American and adopted into the family. The author never mentions any DNA testing, but I do hope he tests so he can figure out whether there is any basis for this family lore.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dodson and was pleased to see that he came away with new insights that enriched his life. No index, unfortunately, but an extensive bibliography for readers like me who want to learn more about the Great Wagon Road and its impact on the peoples of America, then and now.
Recommended reading, especially in this year of America 250 celebrations.
