Progressives and Prison Labor: Rebuilding Ohio's National Road during World War I

by Jeffrey Alan John

Overview

During World War I Ohio Governor James M. Cox accepted pleas from the federal government to initiate a road-building project that would make the National Road suitable for military vehicles. A lack of workers threatened the plans, however, so in a controversial move hundreds of convicts, almost all African American, were pulled from Ohio's prisons to comprise the labor corps. The multi-million-dollar undertaking, completed just as the war ended, created what was reputed to be the world's longest stretch of continuous brick road. Today, the enterprise serves as an excellent example of how racism and plain old-fashioned politics permeated good intentions of one of the last Progressive Era endeavors. Drawing on archives, contemporary records, and many previously unpublished photos, Progressives and Prison Labor: Rebuilding Ohio's National Road during World War I recalls the National Road background, the personalities, and the massive construction project that consumed southeast Ohio through the spring and summer of 1918.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629221403
Publisher:	University of Akron Press, The
Publication date:	07/19/2022
Series:	Series on Ohio History and Culture
Pages:	126
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jeffrey Alan John, PhD, experienced journalism as a daily newspaper reporter, motorcycle magazine editor, and historical society public relations writer. He then taught journalism for thirty years, and he continues as a Professor Emeritus in Wright State University’s Department of Communication. He is co-author with the late Frank L. Johnson of the true-crime tale A Bird in Your Hand: A story of ambiguous justice, and author of the science fiction Lab Rats Can’t Say No: a story in the future; his scholarly works include a study of the Wright Brothers’ photography, and a longitudinal examination of news content in a Midwest city. He and his wife Karin Avila-John live in Dayton, Ohio’s Oregon Historic District.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Notes about the Images xi

Introduction 1

I The Road 4

II Good Roads 11

III War Roads 27

IV Forty Thousand Trucks 34

V Five Million Bricks 44

VI Sledgehammers and Picks 55

VII Victory Declared 70

VIII The Last Brick 75

IX Settling Accounts 80

X Winners and Losers 87

Epilogue 97

Acknowledgments 100

Notes 102

Bibliography 112

Index 120

Editorial Reviews

A lot has been written about the National Road, the nation’s first interstate highway. But Dr. John’s extensive research has revealed a previously little-known part of that history in Ohio which he has woven into the Road’s story in an interesting and informative way. By bringing to light the human aspect of the convict laborers, mostly African American, who in 1918 helped to rebuild the by then nearly-impassable highway as part of the war effort, Jeff has brought life to what might otherwise be a dry subject. The book is well-written and extensively illustrated, making it an enjoyable read.
—Cyndie Gerken, researcher and the author of three award-winning books on Ohio’s National Road

Dr. Jeffrey John has written a high-interest meticulous narrative about the evolution of the Historic National Road in Ohio. Along with the historical account, readers will enjoy the book’s anecdotes and photographs. This book is certain to remain a reliable reference text.
—Elizabeth A. Taylor, The National Road and Zane Grey Museum

The first decades of the Twentieth Century complicate our understanding of ‘Progressive’ and the era. Employing social history to examine the intersections of transport, political, carceral, and labor history, Professor John offers here an engaging narrative that unfurls the complicated story of Ohio’s National Road. In these pages he ably pushes us to think about the wider Progressive Era and the rank and file, African American, and often nameless workers that – as part of this broader though imperfect American movement for ‘reform’ — made this important public works achievement a reality.
—Jeffrey A. Johnson, author of They Are All Red Out Here, Reforming America, and The 1916 Preparedness Day Bombing

Progressives and Prison Labor is vital for any transportation historian examining early-twentieth century US highway modernization’s roots in wartime political economy, race relations, and criminal justice-all key concerns as infrastructure returns to the center of US politics.
—Justin F. Jackson, Sage Journals

From the Publisher