CHAPTER V TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES—LIGHTING—ROADS, TURNPIKES
During the period of early settlement this portion of Pennsylvania was a country of "magnificent distances.” The means of communication with distant points was slow, tedious and inadequate. As the population increased and the people gained in wealth the urgent necessity for easier means of communication with the more densely settled portions of the Commonwealth became apparent. The Lancaster turnpike, the first of that class of roads in the State, was built in 1795, at a cost of $7,516 a mile, and this aroused the people of this section to the possibilities of road building.
In 1787 Evan Owen, the founder of Berwick, was commissioned to superintend the construction of a road by the State from Easton to the Nescopeck falls, and two years later the Indian trail which was part of the route was improved sufficiently to permit the passage of wheeled vehicles. On March 19, 1S04, the Susquehanna & Lehigh Turnpike & Road Company was incorporated, and in the following year graded and completed the road at an enormous expense for those times.
In 1806 the Susquehanna & Tioga Turnpike Road Company was chartered, and by 1818 the road was completed from Berwick to Newtown on the Tioga river, in New York State. After the completion of the bridge at Berwick in 1814 a connecting line of roads extended from Towanda to Easton. John M. Buckalew, one of the prominent citizens of Columbia county, was a stockholder in the company and graded a mile of the turnpike for the sum of $350. This company has never forfeited its charter, and in the annual statements of the treasurer of the State an item of some thousands of dollars appears as an asset, consisting of shares in the Susquehanna & Tioga Turnpike Company.
“Centre” turnpike, so called from being almost in the center of the State, was begun in 1808, and ran from Reading to Northumberland. passing through the township of Conyngham, Columbia county. The chief promoter of this road was Gen. William Montgomery, of Danville. In 1814 a branch turnpike was built from Danville to connect with this main road, and formed one of the important routes from Montour county. In 1788 the Reading road was laid out from Catawissa to Ashland, Schuylkill county, where it connected with the “Centre” turnpike. In 1810 it was made a State road and partially rebuilt. About 1817 a sum of money was appropriated to regrade it, and in 1825 a line of stagecoaches was established by Joseph Weaver. In 1839 Benjamin Potts started an opposition line, both changing horses at the famous Yeager tavern at Slabtown. It was the most important road on the south side of the river and bore an immense amount of traffic. Great covered Conestoga wagons slowly wound their way over the tortuous route across the mountains, their limit of loading being twenty bushels of grain for two horses. The journey to Reading required eight or ten days then. Now an automobile can make it in three hours to Ashland, and about the same time to Reading from the latter place. This road is now route No. 183 of the State highways.
The second Reading road was opened in 1812 through Roaringcreek township. Columbia county, and for a time bore a part of the stagecoach traffic, but the superior attractions of the older road caused a decline after a short time. This road is now the chief route for the farmers to the mining towns of Schuylkill county.
The turnpike from Bloomsburg to Muncy, by way of Jerseytown, Whitehall and Exchange. was established in 1817. and for many years was a prominent road for travelers to that scetion, until abandoned in favor of the railroads. The road from Berwick to Milton also passed through Jerseytown, making that town a prominent point in the days of the stagecoach.
The road from Benton to Unity'ille, Ly35
