HISTORY: Historic Huntingdon, 1767-1909, Chapter 5, Public Roads, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Nancy Lorz Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Historic Huntingdon, 1709-1907. Huntingdon Old Home Week, September 5-11, 1909. Souvenir Edition. Huntingdon, Pa.: Historical Committee of the Old Home Week Association, 1909. _____________________________________________________________________ 39 CHAPTER V First Public Roads At the January sessions 1772, of the Bedford court, on the petition of Samuel Anderson and others, inhabitants of the township of "Baree" setting forth the necessity of a road leading from the Standing Stone or Hart's Log by Boquet's spring (at McConnelstown) and up Woodcock Valley to the crossing of Yellow Creek, and from thence to join the great road near Bloody Run, now Everett, James Little, William Shirley, Robert Friggs, Hugh Guttery, Richard long, and Samuel Anderson were appointed viewers. A report not being made by these viewers, on the 14th of July following, a petition of inhabitants of "Barree and Coleraine" townships, representing that a road between the points above mentioned would be of great use to the public, the court named Richard Long, Hugh Guthrey, Samuel Thompson, James Little, Samuel Anderson, and Walter Clarke to view the road and make a report of their proceedings to the next court. This appointment did not secure a report, and at October sessions the persistant inhabitants of Barre Township were heard by the court in another petition, when John Piper, Esquire, Richard Long, Michael Cryder, Samuel Anderson, James Little, and William Shirley were appointed viewers. A favorable result was not yet secured, and at April sessions 1774, urged by another petition of inhabitants of the township names, John Piper, Esq., Richard Long, James Little, John Mitchell, Samuel Anderson and Michael Cryder were appointed to view. These viewers laid out a road and made return to July sessions of the same year. One branch of the road be- 40 gan at a "hickory standing on the north side of the Frankstown Branch of Juniata River, about a quarter of a mile below the mouth of Standing Stone Creek, at the end of Standing Stone Mountain, supposed to be at or near the line which divides the County of Bedford from Cumberland; and running from thence north thirty-four degrees west 86 perches to Standing Stone Creek; and thence up said creek north 15 degrees east 19 perches; and thence north 64 degrees west across the said creek and along the principal street, called Allegheny street, in the town of Huntingdon 92 perches to the center of the said town, and thence the same course continued and along the same street, in all two hundred and seventy-two perches, to the point of the island above the Standing Stone; thence south fifty-eight degrees west fourteen across the river Juniata, etc. Then follow the courses and distances to a point about one hundred perches southwest of Boquet's Spring, where the other branch of the road was intersected, which began at the lower end of Water Street Narrows, on the Northeastern side of the Frankstown Branch of Juniata River, and ran along the same about a mile and a half, then crossed said river, and passing near the house of Charles Caldwell, in Harts Log Valley, and the house of Henry Lloyd in Woodcock Valley. The route from the intersection of the two branches was through Woodcock Valley, passing near the houses of James Piper and John Piper to the "great road about fifteen perches above Bloody Run." Computing the measurement of the several lines we find the distances according to the return of this road survey, from the intersection of Allegheny and Third Streets in the Borough of Huntingdon to be as follows: To Boquet's Spring at McConnelstown four miles and two hundred and ninety- five perches to the crossing of Yellow Creek, thirty miles and two hundred and ten perches; and to Bloody Run, now Everett, thirty-eight miles and two hundred and thirty-six perches; all somewhat short of the actual distances. This route was ordered to be opened to the breadth of thirty-three feet, and confirmed as a public road. 41 On the 12th day of July, 1773, on a petition of a number of the inhabitants of the county, Benjamin Elliot, John Ramsey, John Walker, Gaven Cluggage, Lawrence Swope and James Carmichael were appointed to view and lay out a road from the mouth of Aughwick Creek to the great road leading from Bedford to Baltimore. As no report was made by these viewers at April sessions, 1774, on petition, another board of viewers, consisting of James Galbraith, Samuel Thompson, Gaven Cluggage, Giles Stevens, Charles Boyle, and Samuel Daniel, was appointed to lay out a bridle road. The report of these viewers was presented to the court at July sessions, 1774, and the road ordered to be opened thirty-three feet wide. The line began at Silver's Ford, on the Juniata River, about a mile above the mouth of Aughwick Creek, crossed the creek north of Fort Shirley, passed Robert Cluggage's mill, and intersected the wagon-road at Charles Magill's at the Burnt Cabins. distance according to the return, twenty-one miles and fifty-four perches. At the October session, Bartholomew Davis petitioned for a road from his mill "to James Galbraith's and from thence to Patrick Kanan, on the great road leading from Silver's Ford to the Burnt Cabins." James Gailbraith, John Donough, John Ramsey, Robert Ramsey, James Cluggage and Samuel Thompson were appointed viewers. At April sessions, 1776, on the petition of inhabitants of Barre Township, setting forth that they labor under many disadvantages for want of roads to the Juniata, Frankstown Branch, and to Bedford, to Huntingdon meeting and market, unto the saw and grist mill on the aforesaid branch, and praying the court to appoint men to view, and if they see cause to lay out one road beginning at William McLevy's on Standing Stone Creek, near to the Big Gap that leads into Koshacoquillas Valley; thence down Shaver's Creek to the mouth thereof into Frankstown Branch; thence down the aforesaid branch to the upper end of Dr. William Smith's Island; thence crossing Juniata the nearest and best way unto the public road to Bedford, etc. The other road beginning at the upper end of the 42 aforesaid island where the first mentioned road ends, on the northeast side of said branch, and from thence down said branch until it joins the aforesaid public road. William McLevy, Alex. McCormick, James Williams, Abraham Haines, Robert Smith, and Nathanial Jarrard were appointed viewers. The Revolutionary troubles followed so soon after these proceedings, that road making was suspended during the contest and for some years afterwards, and the inhabitants were constrained to content themselves with the few roads, paths, or trails already opened. Beside the roads already mentioned there was one that led from the Raystown Branch through Tatman's Gap and Plank Cabin Valley to Fort Littleton; one from Garard's mill, below McConnelstown, to the Raystown Branch. These were in use in 1787. A road that branched from the Hart's Log road west of the Pulpit Rocks, and led to the settlements on the river above Petersburg, was known in 1788 as Graffius' road, and one in Plank Cabin Valley was called, as early as 1766, "Thompson's Road." A public road from Huntingdon to Three Springs, via. Cassville, was laid out about 1790; from McCormick's mill to Huntingdon, surveyed in November of the same year; from Minteer's Gap to the Warm Springs, May, 1791; and that from the Three Springs, through Hares Valley to the Juniata occupies in part the route of an ancient path.