The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-06-23
MAY REBUILD OLD TURN
PIKE
Little Used And Scarcely
Know Road Urged For
Improvement
Improvement

Know Road Urged For
Improvement
Controversy over improve
ment of communication be-
tween Washington and New
York has brought into the
limelight something of the in
genuity and foresight OF those
who planned the roads of
Maryland more than a century
ago. At present considcra,lol
is being given by the Maryland
authorities to the wiGenlng OF
both of the main roaus from
Baltimore TO philadelphia, viz:
Along U. S. lsoule ~, which
runs through Havre de Grace,
Elkton and Wilmington, and
Along U. S. Route No. 1, going
via Bel Air, Conowingo and
,.Iedia.
Since these highways must
satisfy a present need they are
likely to get attention, but
there is a militant group who,
looking to future needs of fast
motor traffic, are trying to pro-
mote still a third highway that
may eventually become a real
ity. These men pin their
hopes on the old Baltimore
Philadelphia turnpike, now un-
improved and scarcely known
to the tourist, but still ;s-used
as a land service.
Extending from the juno
ture Of the Hartford and Bel Air
roads near Bel Air, the old
turnpike route took a direct
course to the northeast about
midway between the two pres
ent roads to Philadelphia. It
crossed the Susquehanna at
Port Deposit by means of a
bridge that has long since dis
appeared, and went through
the town of Calvert and into
Pennsylvania. The old route
joins the U. S. Highway No. 1
at Toughkenamon, Pa.
This old highway was built
to serve the same purpose that
is required of roads today.
1t was to facilitate travel be-
tween large cities. But not
only was it laid out so as to
avoid settled areas, for also it's
grades were so easy as to avoid
undue hardship on the horses
drawing the heavy vehicles.
Proponents of the virtues of
the route claim that a great
highway could approximately
follow this old sixty-foot right
of-way for sixty miles without
a single stop light and, ac-
cording to contour maps, could
be built economically With not
more than a two per cent grade
in Hartford county and a one
per cent grade in Cecil county.
In 1918 there was a wooden
bridge between Lapiduu and
Port Deposit, at Rock Run, and
many believe this site ideal for
a permanent structure connect
ing the old Baltimore-P hiladel-
phia turnpike which, has not
been in use for over seventy
five years.
The first bridge was destroy
ed by fire in 1923 and it was
not until 1929 that a new struc-
ture was built and in opera
ton in 1880. 1t continued in
operation for nearly twenty
five years, when a herd of
eighty cattle set up such a
vibration in crossing that the
Hartford span gave way, and
the cattle and two drivers were
thrown into the water. The
drivers were unhurt, but fifteen
cattle broke their legs.
After the 1854 disaster the
bridge was not rebuilt, and
those who had inyeslea in the
stock of the Susluenanna
Bridge and BANK Company.
which financed the enterprise,
lost heavily. With the destruc-
ton of the bridge. and the
failure of the bank, the old
road went out of existence.
Now it seems, it's merits have
been rediscovered by advocates
who assert it would afford both
economy and easy, rapid,
transportation through devel-
opment of a national highway
which would be 10 feet wide.
-