Had the good fortune to interview Simon Winchester, the author The Men Who United the States, The Professor and the Madman, and Krakatoa, for the Tribune-Review last week. I made a promise to him that I would visit the Point of Beginning in East Liverpool, Ohio, soon. For those that don't know what the Point of Beginning is -- I had no idea until I read The Men Who United the States -- it's the first westward baseline of the Land Ordinance of 1875 which set the stage for the settlement of the lands west of Pennsylvania. Winchester thinks it's one of the more important historical markers in the US, and after reading his book, I agree.
As is the nature of most interviews, I didn't have space to use all of the nuggets of information Winchester gave me. In particular, Winchester states that most of the great developments in the US were advanced because the government backed and financed them. From the Transcontinental Railroad to the Interstate Highway System to the internet, America's infrastructure was created via federal programs. Something to think about when you're driving cross-country or using the web.
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