Travel on the old Plank Road

In Wisconsin, some people say we have two seasons: winter and road construction. Considering that the majority of our interstates were paved under Eisenhower in the 1950’s, it is about time they were updated. Although we complain about the potholes that seemingly form overnight, our roads are nowhere as bumpy and uneven as those of a century ago. Just as the interstate system aimed to connect states and commerce, roads in the 1850s sought to connect communities and commerce. Manitowoc businesses had experienced rapid growth and sought to continue that trend. The next logical step was to draw in additional customers and profit. Building roads that connected customers to the products would ensure continued growth.

Since this need arose from business interests, road construction began through private companies who secured investors. These companies began building plank roads. Plank roads were roads that used half-logs. The rounded half of the log was laid down so that the flat half formed a flat surface to walk and ride on. Manitowoc was not the first to use this method as other companies in southern Wisconsin had already constructed plank roads. In fact, these roads charged five cents per mile of travel to those using its roads.

Ultimately, the efforts of private investors failed and the county government took over the effort. First, the government chartered private companies to finish the job. In 1850, the Calumet Plank Road Company was founded and received a charter to finish construction. With southern Wisconsin’s blueprint for plank roads, the government directed the plank road to reach from Manitowoc to a state military road that ran between Green Bay and Fond du Lac. This road’s path is Highway 41 today. When funding faltered within the Calumet Plank Road Company, the county assumed the project itself and finished the road.

The Calumet Plank Road Company would not be the only company to undertake a project larger than it was capable of. The Neenah and Manitowoc Plankroad Company sought to build a road that led northwest out of Manitowoc. A local board member, Hiram McAllister, began mapping out the route. With investors from Milwaukee, the project began with a promising start. However, the funds of the Neenah and Manitowoc Plankroad Company construction only reached as far as the McAllister farm. Today, the McAllister farmhouse is the welcome center at the Manitowoc County Historical Society. Manitowoc County once again stepped in and completed the construction of the by road by 1857.

The limited success of the two plank road companies was not an anomaly. Many plank road companies throughout the nation had promising starts. Yet, the success of profitable plank road companies lasted just over a decade. All their promise was dashed by the arrival of the train. As the train was introduced, towns and counties switched from laying planks to laying railroad tracks. It became clear that the train represented the future and sealed the fate of the plank road companies.