About

The National Road, early America’s busiest land artery to the West, stretched from Cumberland, MD, to Vandalia, IL. Begun in 1806, the “Main Street of America” was the only significant land link between the east coast and the western frontier in the early 19th century. The dream of Washington and Jefferson, it was needed to move crops and goods between East and West and help immigration.

Zane Grey, born in Zanesville in 1872, wrote more than 80 books and is known for his novels of the old West. Grey penned about 60 Westerns, nine novels about fishing, three books tracing the fate of the Ohio Zanes, a biography of the young George Washington and several short story collections. His novels are still popular today. His study is re-created in the museum and includes many manuscripts and other personal memorabilia.