Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-12
WILLIAM PENN WAY TO
TOUCH SIX MILLIONS
IContinucd From First Page. I

total population which will be touched
by the William Penn Highway is
5,63S,000, which represents about
three-fourths of the entire population
of the State. The counties on the line
of the proposed highway represent a
population of over 3,69S,741, which is
nearly one-half of the population of
the State. Then again, the William
Penn Highway passes through a
thickly populated part of the State,
having the largest towns and cities
with more than three times the popu-
lation of the southern tributary coun-
ties, where the Lincoln Highway is
located.
1t will be noted that the William
Penn Highway follows the grades of
least resistance paralleling two great
railway systems, the Reading from
Philadelphia to Harrisburg and the
Pennsylvania from Harrisburg to AL
toona and on to Pittsburgh. In the
building of this highway branches will
be constructed north and south, which
will make it of great advantage to the
public for passenger and freight serv-
ice and also materially benefit the two
great railroad systems mentioned. The
total mileage from Philadelphia to
Pittsburgh is approximately 35S miles.
Tentative Route
The tentative route of the William
Penn Highway, starting at the City
Hall, in Philadelphia, covers the
Schuylkill Valley boulevard by way of
Norristown. Collegeville and Trappe;
thence through Reading to. Harrisburg
by the Lebanon Valley boulevard,
touching Wernersville, Robesonia,
Womelsdorf, Myerstown, Lebanon,
Annville, Hershey and thence to Har-
risburg. From Harrisburg to Altoona
by way of the Juniata Valley boule-
ward the main points touched will be
Duncannon, Millerstown. Mifilintown,
Lewistown, McVeytown, Mount Union,
Huntingdon, Waterstreet, Tyrone and
Bellwood.
of course, on this stretch of the
highway there will be detours to
Reedsville. Millcreek and Huntingdon
through what is known as the Big VAL
Icy. From Hollidaysburg another route
may be used to Altoona, then over the
Bucthorn route TO Cresson from Holli-
daysburg and thence to Ebensburg.
What will be known as the Allie
Eheny mountain boulevard will extend
from Altoona to Pittsburgh, touching
Ebensburg, Johnstown, Blairsville,
GreensburE. Williamsburg and Pitts
burgh, or from Ehensburg to Indiana
and thence to Williamsburg.
In addition to the large population
through which the highway will di-
rectly pass there is a tributary popu-
lation through the northern counties
bordering on the William Penn High
way counties of 72.377. In the south
ern tributary counties bordering on
the William Penn Highway counties
there is a population of 1,072,243. In
short, the total population to be served
by the William Penn Highway and the
tributary roads from the northern and
southern counties bordering on il
would be 5,6SS.361. The county seats
through which the highway would
pass have population of 2,353,076.
From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh
there are many historic points of in
terest and these will add greatly to the
popularity of the proposed route. The
counties directly traversed are Phila-
delphia. Montgomery, BerEs, Lebanon,
Dauphin. Perry, Juniata. Mifflin, Hunt
ingdon, Blair, Cambria, Indiana, West
moreland and Allegheny.