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Great Genesee Road: Difference between revisions
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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[New York|New York]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Great_Genesee_Road|Great Genesee Road]]'' | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[New York|New York]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Great_Genesee_Road|Great Genesee Road]]'' | ||
[[Image:Great Genesee map.png|border|right|300px]]The '''Great Genesee Road''', a fork of the "Mohawk Trail," or "Iroquois Trail" was built by New York State to connect [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Schuyler Fort Schuyler] (now [[Utica, New York]]) on the [[Mohawk Trail]] and Mohawk River with Canawaugus (now Caledonia), [[Livingston County, New York]] on the Genesee River in 1794. In 1798 the legislature authorized a road extension to [[Buffalo, New York]] on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie Lake Erie]. Another fork also went to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Niagara Fort Niagara] on the border with [[Canada]].<ref name=" | [[Image:Great Genesee map.png|border|right|300px]]The '''Great Genesee Road''', a fork of the "Mohawk Trail," or "Iroquois Trail" was built by New York State to connect [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Schuyler Fort Schuyler] (now [[Utica, New York]]) on the [[Mohawk Trail]] and Mohawk River with Canawaugus (now Caledonia), [[Livingston County, New York]] on the Genesee River in 1794. In 1798 the legislature authorized a road extension to [[Buffalo, New York]] on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie Lake Erie]. Another fork also went to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Niagara Fort Niagara] on the border with [[Canada]].<ref name="Rte5">Wikipedia contributors, "New York State Route 5" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_5 (accessed 28 June 2011).</ref> Each end of the Great Genesee Road connected to other important migration pathways. The length of the road from Utica to Buffalo was 205 miles (330 km). | ||
=== Historical Background === | === Historical Background === | ||
As westward expansion began after the American Revolution, the only central New York pathways west of [Fort Schuyler] ([[Utica, New York]]) were rivers and a footpath called the [[Mohawk Trail]] or Iroquois Trail. The land companies which began developing large tracts of land for settlement started clamoring for the state to make better roads for their customers. | As westward expansion began after the American Revolution, the only central New York pathways west of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Schuyler Fort Schuyler] ([[Utica, New York]]) were rivers and a footpath called the [[Mohawk Trail]] or Iroquois Trail. The land companies which began developing large tracts of land for settlement started clamoring for the state to make better roads for their customers.<ref name="Rte5" /> | ||
In 1794 the state legilature authorized a road from Fort Schuyler to | In 1794 the state legilature authorized a road from Fort Schuyler to Canawaugus to help settlers reach the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Military_Tract New Military Tract]. This area was set aside as 500 acres of bounty land to compensate each New York Revolutionary War veterans for his service. The new road followed the route of the old Mohawk Trail. An extension to Buffalo was authorized four years later.<ref name="Rte5" /> | ||
However, the road construction was spotty and in places incomplete. In 1800 the legislature chartered the Seneca Road Company to charge tolls for improving the road. High quality toll roads were called turnpikes and this one was called the Seneca Turnpike, 157 miles (253 km) from Utica to Canandaigua, longest such road in New York. The road was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadam macadamized] to reduce pot holes. In 1805 the western extension to Buffalo was turned into the Ontario and Genesee Turnpike. In 1806 the Seneca Road Company began developing a more northerly alternate route from Seneca Falls across more level terrain in Elbridge, Geddes, and Fayetteville before rejoining the old turnpike at Chittenango. In time this became the more popular route.<ref name="Rte5" /> | |||
The construction of the [[Erie Canal]] in 1825 reduced traffic on the turnpikes. Later railroads began to compete for traffic. Reduced revenue on the turnpikes made the road companies unprofitable. In 1852 the Seneca Road Company was dissolved and the turnpikes became public roads again.<ref name="Rte5" /> | |||
=== Route === | === Route === | ||