Catskill Road

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United States go to Migration go to Trails and Roads Gotoarrow.png Massachusetts Gotoarrow.png New York Gotoarrow.png Catskill Road

Did an ancestor travel the Catskill Road of Massachusetts and New York? Learn about this settler migration route, its transportation history, and find related genealogy sources.

Map of the Catskill Road (aka Ancram Turnpike) in yellow from Springfield, Massachusetts to Ancram, Catskill, and Unadilla in New York.

The Catskill Road, also known as the Catskill Turnpike, also known as the Ancram Turnpike, is about a 100 mile (161 kilometer) pathway from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York, via Ancram, New York. The route went westward from Springfield, Massachusetts toward the southwest corner of that state. It entered New York State near the town of Ancram and went thence northwest to the town of Catskill on the west bank of the Hudson River. From Catskill the highway was usually called the Catskill Turnpike and hugged the north edge of the Catskill Mountains running toward Unadilla (formerly Wattle's Ferry) on the Susquehanna River.[1]

Route

There may have been two forks of the Catskill Road. New York State historical roadside markers show Ancram was connected by old turnpikes both to Salisbury, Connecticut, and to Barrington, Massachusetts via Hillsdale (Nobletown), New York.[2]

Sources

  1. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 9th ed. (Logan, Utah: Everton Pub., 1999), pages 532 and M-48. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 1999. This was one of the most important migration routes for early New England settlers who pioneered into central New York.
  2. "36 Old Turnpike Road" and "37 Turnpike Road" in List of New York State Historic Markers in Columbia County, New York in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 21 October 2014).