1756-1836

Scottish engineer/inventor whose name is known worldwide as the father of modern road building. In 1819 McAdam appeared before Britain's House of Commons to report on his system of road building and mending. His macadam design helped establish a new standard of road engineering and became popular in much of England and the United States. Smooth, solid roads replaced gravel-on-soil roads, facilitating travel and communications and opening many areas to new influences.