Hicksville to Antwerp, the Corduroy Road

State Route 49 between Hicksville and Antwerp was not always the smooth drive that it is now.  A discovery made in 1919 revealed the original roadway.

From the Defiance Democrat - September 18, 1919

 "UNEARTH OLD CORDUROY ROADWAY BETWEEN HICKSVILLE AND ANTWERP

Hicksville, Sept. 17 -

Workmen engaged in tearing up the roadbed on the Antwerp Pike within the corporation limits for the new concrete pavement found that it is still underlaid with a complete layer of corduroy which were placed there 80 years ago when this road was first built.

Original website for photo

 According to information given out by J. M. Collins, who has been a resident along this road for 74 years, he states that Hon. A. P. Edgerton, the founder of Hicksville, helped cut the timber to build this pioneer highway which at that time was built mostly of logs.  It is found that many of these logs are yet well preserved after all these years of being buried under the road bed."