How Roads Were Opened and Maintained

Jones wrote that early roads were laid out by order of the county court, not by towns or the state. The court appointed road overseers, who were responsible for assigning local men to work the roads. Road work was done by local labor, often unpaid, and roads followed old Indian trails, ridges, and natural paths rather than engineered routes. Poor roads made travel slow and difficult, especially in winter.

Source: Mamie Jones.