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Introduction		Road Trip		Internet Resources		Image Gallery
	Introduction
By 1735 the Fall Line Road (or Southern Road) was the road utilized to connect most of those growing mill towns along the fall line, a geographic drop-off separating the coastal from the piedmont regions. The rivers above each waterfall or rapid were relatively easy to ford because they were not subject to ocean tides, or marshes. Connecting the river fords and nearby mill towns with overland roads helped migration and trade.
The Fall Line Road (aka. Southern Road) forked off of the King's Highway at Fredericksburg, Virginia and continued south running parallel between the King's Highway and the Upper Road. Towns grew at the fall line because cargo on boats had to be portaged around the waterfalls which also served as an important early source of water power. Mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of towns. The larger rivers were navigable from the ocean up to the fall line, providing a trade route for those mill towns. The Fall Line Road was historically significant because it was the first into the interior connecting towns away from the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas.				Click on the map to view a full-sized image
			Road Trip
If you have traced your 18^th or 19^th century ancestors to any of the counties listed below it is quite possible that they traveled to that location along this migration route. Therefore you may find additional relevant information about your ancestral lineages by taking the following road trip through these localities.
COUNTY (Road Trip Segment)			COUNTY (Road Trip Segment)		COUNTY (Road Trip Segment)
Aiken County, SC (8) Brunswick County, VA (2) Caroline County, VA (1) Chatham County, NC (4) Chesterfield County, SC (6) Dinwiddie County, VA (2) Franklin County, NC (3,4) Fredericksburg City, VA (1) Hanover County, VA (1)			Henrico County, VA (1,2) Kershaw County, SC (6,7) Lee County, NC (4,5) Lexington County, SC (7,8) Marlboro County, SC (6) Mecklenburg County, VA (3) Moore County, NC (5) Petersburg City, VA (2) Richland County, SC (7)		Richmond City, VA (1,2) Richmond County, GA (8) Richmond County, NC (5,6) Saluda County, SC (8) Spotsylvania Co., VA (1) Vance County, NC (3) Wake County, NC (4) Warren County, NC (3)
Genealogy Road Trip This “Genealogy Road Trip” is divided into segments that require between 1 and 2 hours of driving time. The entire 505 mile journey should take approximately 11.50 hours to drive at 45 miles per hour. Within each segment you will find links to resources* that will assist you in planning a successful and enjoyable experience. The following maps are designed to show a close-up view of the counties and communities along this migration route. Relevant county seats are designated with a, beginning and end points of each segment are noted with a and historical sites with a .
SEGMENT 1 From: Fredericksburg, VA To: Richmond, VA			SEGMENT 2 From: Richmond, VA To: Meredith, VA		SEGMENT 3 From: Meredith, VA To: Franklin, NC
SEGMENT 4 From: Franklin, NC To: Sanford, NC			SEGMENT 5 From: Sanford, NC To: Rockingham, NC		SEGMENT 6 From: Rockingham, NC To: Cassatt, SC
SEGMENT 7 From: Cassatt, SC To: Lexington, SC			SEGMENT 8 From: Lexington, SC To: Augusta, GA
			Segment 1 From: Fredericksburg, VA To: Richmond, VA
Driving Distance = 60 miles; Driving Time = approximately 1.25 hours
				Click on the map to view a full-sized image
Use the following LINKS to find information about the counties and localities found along this segment of the Route.
General Profile			Genealogy & History Resources		Historical Sites
			Segment 2 From: Richmond, VA To: Meredith, VA
Driving Distance = 62 miles; Driving Time = approximately 1.25 hours
				Click on the map to view a full-sized image
Use the following LINKS to find information about the counties and localities found along this segment of the Route.
General Profile			Genealogy & History Resources		Historical Sites
			Segment 3 From: Meredith, VA To: Franklin, NC
Driving Distance = 66 miles; Driving Time = approximately 1.50 hours
				Click on the map to view a full-sized image
Use the following LINKS to find information about the counties and localities found along this segment of the Route.
General Profile			Genealogy & History Resources		Historical Sites
			Segment 4 From: Franklin, NC To: Sanford, NC
Driving Distance = 69 miles; Driving Time = approximately 1.50 hours
				Click on the map to view a full-sized image
Use the following LINKS to find information about the counties and localities found along this segment of the Route.
General Profile			Genealogy & History Resources		Historical Sites
			Segment 5 From: Sanford, NC To: Rockingham, NC
Driving Distance = 59 miles; Driving Time = approximately 1.25 hours