Much general research has been done on the early history of Knox County, Indiana, but little has been done on the history of road development in the county. The main purpose of this study is to contribute to original research about Knox County road development from 1840 to 1860.In the early years of Indiana's history, lines of travel were rivers, animal pathways, and Indian trails. Most of the early routes were in the southern part of the state which was one of the first areas inhabited by white settlers. The region around Vincennes was an important trade center and a central meeting place for a variety of Indian Groups with many pathways crossing there.As the population grew in southern Indiana, Knox County which encompassed a very large area, was divided into townships. Local governments, first the Court of Quarter Sessions, then the County Commissioners and Township Trustees had power over roadbuilding. Townships were divided into road districts and road supervisors were appointed/elected to maintain the roads within each district. Individuals requested private roads, cartways, township roads, county roads and changes and vacations of each.In Knox County, Indiana, most early routes were established to connect citizens with Vincennes, the county seat. However as settlers moved into the countryside, roads were needed to reach river crossings, mills, churches, railroads, and other sites.There were objections to proposed road, change and vacation petitions for a variety of reasons. Usually the objectors thought they would suffer property damage, or they wanted to cultivate parts of their land that were cut off by the roadways. Another concern was whether a road was of public use. This was an important issue because male citizens between the ages of 20 and 50 were required by state law to work the roads every year. They were assigned to a road district, and it was there that any additional road taxes could be worked off with labor on the roads.Knox County citizens followed the same state guidelines as all Hoosiers in regard to roadbuilding. There were no examples of roadbuilding that would make Knox County appear to be different than any other county, except perhaps in the local residents' zeal to maintain Vincennes as an important crossroads between Louisville and St. Louis and Chicago and points south. / Department of History