The Quièvrecourt-Caldwell Road, also concurrent to many township routes, is a historic road in southern Morseville. The road stretches from the village of Caldwell to the city of Quièvrecourt. The road is well-known for being a difficult drive and being one of the first improved roads in Morseville.
History[]
The Quièvrecourt-Caldwell Road grew over time from several scattered trails. In 1654, some French colonists arrived and founded Fort Angoulème at the coastal end of it, and the road became traveled more. By 1741, the road had been listed on maps, but not named. During the Revolutionary War, it played a critical role in preserving Morseville's independence from Britain, as a strategic army route. After this point it fell in large disuse.
Between 1810 and 1815, a large group of Bonapartist colonists from France arrived, founding the city of Quièvrecourt, naming it after a town in Normandy. Quièvrecourt became a major trading city, and its population grew steadily. Quièvrecourt soon absorbed Fort Angoulème as well. The Quièvrecourt-Caldwell Road gained more importance, and became a major route of travel for merchants and postal workers.
In 1865, after the American Civil War, a large project to improve the road was taken. The road became more direct and less steep. However, as a result, the route was somewhat less direct, making travel a bit longer.
In 1919, the road was designated part of State Route 4, and in 1926, it became part of new U.S. Route 90. However, travelers complained about the route's poor condition, and the road became notorious for automobile accidents and was known as, "Accident Alley". During World War II, numerous military vehicles got stuck on gravel and unmaintained sections of the road, and the federal government finally decided to do something about the road. Between 1941 and 1945, the road was replaced with a new 4-lane parkway, and in 1945, U.S. 90 and State Route 4 were routed upon the new road. The Quievrecourt-Tazewell Road was transferred to local authorities, and it became a mass of county and township routes.
Since then, the road has been improved slightly. There are almost no dirt sections left, and not very many gravel sections left either. However, the road is still quite dangerous, and is only lightly traveled.