The Old Plank Road traveled from Ste. Genevieve city to Iron Mountain (in St. Francois County) and still exists today.  In the city of Ste. Genevieve, it was Merchant Street, then from there to Farmington, it was what is now Highway 32.   Construction began on August 20, 1851 and the Plank Road was 42 miles in length.
      Over this plank road, for a few years, an immense business was carried on in lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, marble and granite, and agricultural products of all kinds.  And as early as 1850, right-of-way was already being bought for the road. The farmers were given deeds to use the road free for carrying farm products to and from Ste. Genevieve. 
      The first telegraphic line in Missouri connected Nashville to St. Louis, passed through Ste. Genevieve, and was established in the year 1850, but afterwards discontinued.  At this period nothing seemed so wonderful and miraculous, to witness the flashes of intelligence flying with the rapidity of lightning, through the first town of Upper Louisiana.
        It was when the road to St. Louis from Iron Mountain was finally finished that the little town of Ste. Genevieve was bi-passed entirely.

122 Years with the Ste. Genevieve Herald
May 14, 2003
100 Years Ago - 1903
Posts are being set along the Plank Road for a Bell Telephone line from here to Farmington.  Still more improvements. 

Also related:
March 31, 2004
100 Years Ago - 1904
On June 1st passenger trains were put on the Frisco between Memphis and St. Louis.  The trains pass here daily, running north and south.