Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike facts for kids

The Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike was an old road in Pennsylvania and New York. It was also known as the Berwick and Tioga Turnpike. This road was built to connect the town of Berwick, Pennsylvania with Elmira, New York. It was a special kind of road called a toll road, which means people had to pay to use it.

The turnpike was started in 1806. At first, it was mostly used by people walking or riding horses. Over time, it was made wider and better for wagons. This helped farmers and businesses move their goods. The road was about 100 miles long. It helped connect central and northern Pennsylvania to New York State.

The Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike was important for trade. It connected to other roads and canals. For example, it linked up with the Lausanne–Nescopeck Turnpike. This allowed goods to travel from Philadelphia and New Jersey all the way to Lake Erie. The turnpike was especially useful for moving coal, iron, and farm products.

The road was built between 1807 and 1825. It offered the shortest way to travel between Elmira and Berwick. People used it to transport things like lime, iron, salt, and plaster. They used pack mules and wagons for this. After 1907, people stopped using the turnpike much. This was because cars became popular, and new paved roads were built.

Building the Turnpike

The idea for the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike began in 1804. In 1806, it became legal to build turnpikes in Pennsylvania. A company was formed in 1807 to build the road. It was called the "President, Managers and Company of the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike Road."

The state of Pennsylvania even gave 400 acres of land to help with the project. Construction started in Berwick in 1808. The road slowly moved north. Work stopped for a while during the War of 1812. But it started again in 1816. The turnpike finally reached its end point in Elmira in 1825.

Who Built the Road?

The men who built the turnpike lived in simple camps called shanties. They moved their camps as the road got longer. Many of the early workers and settlers along the road were Germans. They came from southern Pennsylvania. Later, between 1840 and 1845, people of Irish background also settled near the turnpike.

Early Travel on the Turnpike

By 1810, the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike was one of the best roads for wagons in its area. In 1827, a company started running stagecoaches on the turnpike. Stagecoaches are like large horse-drawn buses. They would change horses every 12 miles to keep going fast. These stagecoaches left Berwick twice a day.

Changes Over Time

In 1845, the turnpike was closed as a toll road. It became a public road. Later, parts of it were replaced by modern roads like Pennsylvania Route 487 and U.S. Route 220. After 1907, the old turnpike was rarely used. Today, it is mostly used by jeeps or 4-wheel drive vehicles. The turnpike is considered important enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Turnpike's Path

The Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike began in Berwick. It went north over a mountain called Jonestown Mountain. It followed paths that are now modern roads like Summerhill Avenue. Then it went through Fairmount Township and Huntington Township. In these areas, parts of the old road are still called the "Old Tioga Turnpike."

Challenging Sections

The road then went up a difficult path on Red Rock Mountain. It passed by Ganoga Lake. In Sullivan County, the road was very straight in some parts. Modern roads like PA 487 now go around some of these old sections.

One part of the road in Sullivan County was even called the "Devil's mile." This was because it was in such bad condition. When the road reached the border of Bradford County, it went around Towanda. It followed roads still named the Burlington Turnpike and Berwick Turnpike. At the state line near Wellsburg, the road continued into Elmira.

Connecting Roads

The Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike was an extension of another road called the Susquehanna and Lehigh Turnpike. This larger network of roads created a path from Philadelphia all the way to Seneca Lake and beyond.

The turnpike was often rough and muddy. It had potholes in the summer. In winter, it could be very icy. Sometimes, beavers would cause flooding near the road. These conditions often made vehicles get stuck. To fix this, people would sometimes build a "corduroy road." This meant laying logs side-by-side across the muddy parts. The turnpike was also not wide enough for two vehicles to pass easily. This often led to collisions.

Cost of Travel

Paying to use the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike was called paying a toll. The cost depended on what you were traveling with. Vehicles with one horse paid less than those with two horses.

Toll Prices

Here are some examples of tolls from 1807:

• 20 sheep: $0.04
• 20 hogs: $0.06
• 20 cows: $0.12
• A person riding a horse or mule: $0.03
• A two-wheeled vehicle with one horse: $0.06
• A two-wheeled vehicle with two horses: $0.08
• A four-wheeled vehicle with two horses: $0.12
• A four-wheeled vehicle with four horses: $0.20

Collecting Money

Tollgates were built along the turnpike to collect money. One of these gates was likely near Ganoga Lake. In 1807, the turnpike collected $1339.07. The company that owned the turnpike sold shares of stock for $100 each. People paid 10% when they bought the stock and the rest in payments. The turnpike was used quite a bit, especially in the spring. This was when the Susquehanna River was often used for travel to New York.

Why the Turnpike Was Important

Even though the turnpike didn't make a lot of money for its investors, it greatly helped the people living nearby. In 1822, a government committee said that the turnpike would offer "facilities for traveling and transportation unequaled" in the United States.

What it Carried

One main use of the turnpike was to move livestock (farm animals) from northern Pennsylvania to busier towns along the Susquehanna River. It also moved lime and iron north. And it moved plaster and salt south. Early travelers also included loggers who cut down trees. Mail was delivered along the turnpike every three days.

The turnpike also brought importance to towns like Jonestown. It created jobs for many people. And it helped new settlers move into Columbia and Sullivan Counties.