Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike facts for kids
The Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike was an important toll road in Pennsylvania that operated from 1804 to the 1840s. It was also known as the Susquehanna & Lehigh Turnpike or Lehigh–Susquehanna Turnpike. This road opened in 1805 and was very successful.
It was built during the early days of the Canal Age, a time when canals were becoming a popular way to transport goods. The turnpike was one of many privately funded projects in the young United States. These projects aimed to connect different areas and help new settlements grow.
For settlers, a road meant they could send extra farm products to the east to sell. They could also buy things they needed or wanted, making their hard lives a bit easier. People in the eastern cities needed food and raw materials. Manufacturers needed new markets to sell their goods. Roads like the Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike helped everyone trade and buy things, which was much better than just bartering (trading goods directly).
The Turnpike's Path
Like many roads of its time, the Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike followed an old Native American trail. This trail belonged to the Susquehannock people. It generally went from the south-southeast to the north-northwest. The road crossed many parallel mountain ridges and steep valleys in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians.
The turnpike connected the Lehigh River valley, near Lehigh Gorge State Park, to Nescopeck, Pennsylvania. It also connected to Berwick, Pennsylvania, which is on the other side of the Susquehanna River. Eventually, Berwick was connected to Tioga, New York and Elmira, New York by another road called the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike. This larger network helped connect cities and towns along the Delaware River, including places in New Jersey and Delaware, as well as Philadelphia and Buffalo, New York.
The turnpike started at a place called Lausanne Landing. This was near the mouth of Nesquehoning Creek, on the side of Broad Mountain. From there, it went down through Weatherly, Pennsylvania. Then, it went up Hazle Creek and crossed a high point near Hazleton, Pennsylvania. After that, it went west, descending through a series of valleys near or through the Nescopeck Creek valley.
Building the Road
The first section of the turnpike was authorized by an act of the Legislature "March 19th, A.D. 1804" enabling the Governor to incorporate a company by the name of the President, Managers and Company of the Susquehanna and Lehigh Turnpike to make an "artificial road from Nescopeck on the N. E. branch of the Susquehanna, to the Lehigh River." The original capital stock was authorized in the amount of $60,000, composed of 600 shares at $100 a share. The success of the Susquehanna & Lehigh Turnpike carried over to the need to continue pushing north into New York state with a turnpike.
—News Feature
The first part of the turnpike was approved by the government on March 19, 1804. This allowed a company called "the President, Managers and Company of the Susquehanna and Lehigh Turnpike" to be formed. Their job was to build an "artificial road" (a well-built road) from Nescopeck to the Lehigh River.
To get the project started, the company raised money by selling shares. They aimed to raise $60,000, which was a lot of money back then! This was done by selling 600 shares, with each share costing $100. The success of the Susquehanna & Lehigh Turnpike showed that there was a need for more roads, especially to connect Pennsylvania with New York State.
Connecting to Other Roads
The success of the Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike led to the creation of another important road. This new road, chartered in 1805, was called the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike. It started with a ferry crossing the Susquehanna River between Nescopeck and Berwick, Pennsylvania.
This turnpike continued through Tioga, New York and Elmira, New York, all the way to Buffalo, New York. This meant that communities along the Lehigh River and in the Delaware Valley (including parts of New Jersey and Delaware), as well as Philadelphia (which was America's largest city at the time), could connect to Lake Erie. This connection was very important for trade and travel to what was then considered the "far west" of America, including areas like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago.
