A mere 10 years after Henry Ford started producing the Model A in 1903, motoring parties became a popular pastime. Situated between Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, Cecil County was often traveled by these new motorists. However, since there were no maps for roads that were often not suitable for car travel, crossing through the county was often quite an adventure.
Cecil County sat in the path of many proposed roads to connect cities along the northeast corridor (just like Route 40 and I-95 serve that purpose today). Prior to the automobile, roads in the county were either dirt or sand, depending upon the location. As the need arose for better roads, in 1909, âThe Good Road Commission of Marylandâ was asked to choose a route through Cecil County. They proposed the southern route, Perryville to Elkton, as opposed to Conowingo to Newark. They felt that in order to accommodate cars the bridge at Conowingo would need rebuilding, which would leave residents there without a way