Susquehannah Turnpike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Susquehannah Turnpike
|
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Beginning at Catskill, follows the Mohican Trail (NY 145) and CR 20 and 22 NW to the Schoharie County line, Catskill, New York |
|---|---|
| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Built | 1800 |
| Architect | Susquehannah Turnpike Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001241 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1974 |
The Susquehannah Turnpike was a very old road, like a highway from a long time ago. It was about 25 miles long. It started in a town called Catskill, which is next to the Hudson River. Then it went through another town called Durham in Greene County, New York.
This road was special because it was a "turnpike." That means people had to pay a small fee, called a toll, to use it. This money helped pay for building and fixing the road. Over time, parts of this road were taken over by other companies, and it even got extended. Eventually, the whole route became known as the Catskill Turnpike.
You can still see parts of the original Susquehannah Turnpike today. Some sections follow an old trail called the Mohican Trail. There are even some old stone arch bridges still standing! Nine of the original stone markers, called milestones, are still there. These markers showed how far you had traveled.
The Susquehannah Turnpike was added to a special list called the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it's an important historical site.
Contents
History
Building the Road
Back in 1790, the government tried to build a road to connect to settlements along the Susquehanna River. They even used money from lotteries to help pay for it. But that plan didn't work out.
So, in 1800, a private company called the Susquehanna Turnpike Company was formed. Their job was to build the road. It was a very hard and long project. For example, in 1804, several bridges they had built were washed away by floods!
Despite all the problems, the turnpike finally opened in 1806. Even before it opened, a part of the road east of the Hudson River became its own company, called the Ancram Turnpike, in 1804.
Avoiding the Tolls
As soon as the turnpike opened, some people tried to avoid paying the tolls. They would use other small roads, called "shunpikes," to go around the tollbooths. One famous shunpike was in a place called Meredith, which is now part of Davenport. This road is now called Miller Hill Road.
To stop people from avoiding tolls, the company moved a tollbooth closer to a creek. This made it impossible to get around the toll. If someone was caught using a shunpike, they had to pay three times the normal toll! To make up for lost money, the company also started putting tollbooths closer together, but they charged half the old toll at each one.
Extending the Road
To make the road go even further west, beyond the Susquehanna River, another company was created in 1804. This was the Susquehanna and Bath Turnpike Company. Their road was planned to go from Bainbridge in Chenango County to Bath in Steuben County.
This company faced even tougher conditions when building their part of the road. They didn't even have an old Iroquois trail to guide them.
The Decline of Turnpikes
Starting in the 1820s, turnpikes like the Susquehanna Turnpike began to lose popularity. New ways to travel and transport goods became available, like the Erie Canal and railroads. These new options were often faster and cheaper.
The Susquehanna Turnpike Company also had trouble keeping such a long road in good condition. The road became so poorly maintained that by 1828, only one tollbooth was still collecting money. This was a common practice for roads that weren't being kept up well.
Finally, in 1856, the Susquehanna Turnpike became a public road, meaning people no longer had to pay tolls to use it. The company itself officially closed down much later, in 1901.
Modern Designations
Today, almost all of the original Susquehanna Turnpike and its extensions can still be driven on. Only a few small changes have been made over the years.
Here are some of the modern road names that follow the old turnpike routes:
Ancram Turnpike
- State Line Road
- Dutchess CR 60
- Dutchess CR 8
- NY 82
- US 9
- Church Road
- Greendale Road
Susquehanna Turnpike
- Main Street (old NY 23)
- NY 145
- CR 20
- Durham Road
- Potter Mountain Road
- NY 990V
- Gilboa Road
- NY 23
- Turnpike Road
- Delhi–Leonta Road
- NY 357
Stagecoaches from this road could connect to the Susquehanna and Bath Turnpike along what is now NY 7.
Susquehanna and Bath Turnpike
- NY 206
- NY 79
- Schuyler CR 23
- Steuben CR 114
- Steuben CR 87
- NY 54
