Albany Post Road facts for kids
The Albany Post Road was a very old and important road in the U.S. state of New York. It was used to deliver mail and connect two big cities: New York City and Albany. This road ran along the east side of the Hudson River. Today, much of this historic route is followed by U.S. Route 9.
Contents
The Road's Amazing History
From Native Trails to Mail Routes
The Albany Post Road began as an ancient path called the Wickquasgeck Trail. Native Americans living in Manhattan made this trail through swamps and rocks. When the Dutch arrived, this trail became the main road through Manhattan Island. It started from Nieuw Amsterdam at the southern tip.
In 1642, a Dutch explorer named David Pietersz. de Vries wrote about it in his journal. He called it "the Wickquasgeck Road over which the Indians passed daily." The Dutch later named it "Heerestraat."
Becoming a Public Highway
In 1669, the government of New York decided to create a postal route. This route would connect New York City and Albany. These were the two most important settlements at the time. At first, it was just a narrow path. It followed old trails used by the Wiccoppe and Wappinger tribes.
By 1703, the government made the postal road a "public and common general highway." It started in Kingsbridge, Bronx and ended at a ferry landing in Rensselaer. People called it the Queen's Road, after Queen Anne.
The King's Bridge and Key Landmarks
The King's Bridge was built in 1693 by Frederick Philipse. He was a rich merchant and owned a lot of land. This bridge was the first to connect Manhattan with the mainland. It crossed the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. At Kingsbridge, the Post Road split. One part went to Boston, and the other went north to Albany.
The Albany Post Road, sometimes still called "Broadway," goes through Van Cortlandt Park. It also passes Greystone, which was once the home of Samuel J. Tilden. Today, it's part of Untermyer Park. The village of Ardsley got its name from Cyrus West Field's estate. He named it Ardsley Park after his ancestor's English birthplace.
Just north of Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. This church is famous from Irving's story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820). As the Albany Post Road gets closer to Ossining, it stops being called "Broadway."
In the fall of 1777, General Israel Putnam used the Post Road to retreat. He was moving away from Sir Henry Clinton's army, which was advancing on Peekskill.
The Road's Path Today
The original Albany Post Road followed a route that is now covered by several modern roads. Here's a general idea of its path:
- From New York City to Ossining, it followed parts of US 9. It split from the Boston Post Road in Kingsbridge.
- From Ossining to Peekskill, it used parts of the Old Albany Post Road and NY 9A.
- From Peekskill to near Nelsonville, it followed Sprout Brook Road and Old Albany Post Road.
- From near Nelsonville to Wappingers Falls, it was mostly US 9.
- Through Wappingers Falls, it used Main Street and NY 9D.
- From Wappingers Falls to Poughkeepsie, it was US 9.
- Through Poughkeepsie, it followed South Avenue and Washington Street (partly NY 9G).
- From Poughkeepsie to Humphreysville, it was US 9.
- From Humphreysville to Kinderhook, it used NY 9H and Hudson Street.
- From Kinderhook to Schodack Center, it followed Albany Avenue, Old Post Road, US 9, and Old Post Road. Here, it met the road from Boston to Albany.
- From Schodack Center to Greenbush, it was US 9/US 20. It ended at "the ferry at Crawlier."
Many small parts of the old road still exist alongside the modern routes today.
