This township, for many years, was without pikes, or any good gravel roads, and being possessed of a very rich, deep soil, had, perhaps, more than an average of bad mud roads. But in 1836-37, was constructed through this county one of the greatest enterprises of our Government of that day. The Government of the United States commenced to build a turnpike from Cumberland, Md., extending westward through all the Western States. Then were then no railroads, and no great thoroughfare from the East to the West, and the great flow of emigration Westward, and the increasing traffic and demand for better communication between the East and the West, caused the Government to enter upon this project. It was a great undertaking, and would not in that day have been attempted by any power less than the General Government. This great road passed from east to west through the center of Deer Creek Township, and was the first and only pike built for many years through this township or county. It was completed about 1837. It was truly wonderful the amount of travel over this road for many years; and hotels—or taverns as they were called in that day—sprang up all along its line, and of these Deer Creek Township had its share, not less than six or seven being within her borders. There were two or three in the eastern part of the township, and four at La Fayette, and all did good business. It was not uncommon to see at one time from eight to ten four-horse coaches in La Fayette loaded down with passengers and baggage. But, after the railroads passed through the country, this road lost her prestige; stages and passengers disappeared; hotels were vacated, and the great hustle and rattle of stage coaches, and the shrill whistle of their bugle-horns were heard no more—all this is now a reminiscence of the past! Yet the road remains and is one of the best ever made in our country, and will ever stand as a monument to the enterprise of the Government that projected it.
Another pike, whose advantages this township enjoys, is the Urbana, Mechanicsburg & Jefferson, which passes through the northwest corner of the township in a southeast course till it arrives at the Dun Schoolhouse, where it strikes the boundary line between Deer Creek and Monroe Townships and continues on that line to the eastern terminus of the township and on through to the village of Jefferson. This pike was first built by a stock company, and was completed about 1859. It remained a toll road till about 1870 or 1877, when that portion within Madison County was purchased and turned over to the county, and has since been a free pike. The London & Jefferson pike was built a few years later. The London & Plain City pike was built to La Fayette in 1868; thence completed through to Plain City in 1873; and now (1882), they are building a pike from London to the Union County line, known as the Beach road; also have surveyed and nearly graded one called the Lucas road, running from the National road in a northeast course to the Franklin County line. These, when completed, will give this township twenty-four miles of free pike, which will probably equal any township of its dimensions in the county.