Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-27
Ehrntng Gi1at

The meeting here to-day of the peo-
pie of score or more of counties who
are interested in the formation of an
association which will formally put
the William Penn highway on the man=
and encourage the State in its ma
tenance is an event of prime imnA
ance In the history of highway 81
pennsylvania and will arouse In
support here and elsewhere forYthe
general project of betterment of the
highways of the Commonwealth. This
city, as a matter of fact. was brought
into being because 1t is a natural road
center. Most of the roads which ra-
date from Harrisburg are merely
adaptation of Indian trails to the ne
cessities of modern traffic. The route
py which the William Penn highway
comes into the States capital is one of
the Oldest Indian trails in this part
of Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg is the outgrowth of trails
meeting at ford of the Susquehanna.
Long before John Harris. or the
French traders who preceded him.
came to the ford it was in use by In
dians and the white men utilized the
indian trails because they were the
best means of travel The develop
mont from trails to thoroughfares of
trafflc was speedy once 1t began. One
trail led down the Lebanon valley to-
ward Easton, part of which is ira
versed by the William Penn highway.
Another went over the ford to Car
Isle and the West and the South and
caused John Harris to establish the
terry The other trails followed the
river and met here. bringing the Iro-
quots into touch with the Shawanese.
first nf a lat 20
ter Harrisburg was that from Harris
| purB TO Baltimore. as 1t was ambi-
| tlously styled. 1t really was an extern
sion of the trail from Lancaster and
Phlladelphia, which was then being
used by wagons and was ordered by
the court at Lancaster November 4,
| 1888. The road is generally supposed
to have touched Middletown. The
trail to Reading was developed into
road about the same time. A sec
ond road to Middletown. called the "up-
per road" was ordered by the court in
l7S5, the year of founding of Harris
burg and erection of Dauphin county.
and the existence of the highway to
Reading is indicated by an order in
the same year for a road leading from
the Wenrich farm to "the great road"
between Harrisburg and Hummels-
town. Two years later the road to
Jamestown, known as the Jamestown
road. and which survives in this city,
was officially confirmed.
!
1t might also be stated that the best
proof of the attention given to roads
| by the early residents of this part of
the State is furnished by the incorpor-
alton of turnpike companies. Within
thirty years from the organization of
the county there were six turnpike
companies operating road with Har-
risburg as objective point. They in
cluded the Downingtown, Ephrsta and
Harrisburg, Lancaster. Elizabethtown
and Middletown. Middletown and
Harrisburg, harrisburg, Carlisle
and Chambersburg, Harris
burg and Millerstown and the
Berks and Dauphin. The William
Penn Highway route will traverse
some of them and the toll gates still
stand on one route.
The fine weather of yesterday alta
tracted a good many people into the
country and those walked within sight
OF the railroads must have been i'm
pressed with the extent of the freight
traffic being handled at this time. The
Pennsylvania yards on both sides OF
the river were in state of rush and
long trains were being handled, whilo
the Readings traffic was tremendous,
the Rutherford yards being a regular
hive and the trains sent out both ways
at frequent intervals.
Wildwood park attracted quite q
few people to the city's great play
ground of the future yesterday and
while the ground was pretty soft off
the paths it was delightful to roam
amid the trees and to note the ac-
tivity of bugs and flies over spots
Where two weeks ago there was moth
ing but snow. The park is coming out
of winter pretty rapidly and it will not
be long before Spring flowers will be
seen. A few more days like yesterday
and the bull frog chorus Will be
heard.
S. l.. Tone, former Public Service
commissioner, is taking an active part
in discussion of public utility ques-
tions in Pittsburgh and Vicinity.