BEFORE

white man the original owners of the American continent had made many paths, or "trails," as they were called, running from one section of the country to another for the use of their war parties, or on their hunting expeditions. At first, before any roads were cut, the settlers found it convenient to continue using these trails, as they were generally the shortest route between any two points. They were suitable for travelers on foot or for pack-horses, but could not be used for wagons, and as the needs of the settlers developed many of the Indian trails were widened into roads, and not a few of the well-known highways of to-day are but the amplification of the by-paths over which the redman. found his way through the primeval forest. One of these Indian trails started at a point on the Susquehanna river near where Wrightsville now stands and extended through the territory now forming parts of York and Adams

counties, Pennsylvania, to a point on the Monocacy river near the boundary between the provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania, thence to the Potomac river, crossing the South Mountain through a gap known as Crampton's Gap. It was over this trail that the first Germans went from Pennsylvania to Maryland, in 1710, and later when the movement became more extensive the same route was used. When communication between the settlements in Maryland and Pennsylvania became more frequent the necessity of having better means of travel became urgent and steps were taken to have a road properly laid out. In 1739 application was made to the Lancaster county court for the appointment of viewers for such a road. The record of this proceeding may be of interest. It is found in "Road Docket No. 1, from 1729 to 1742," and is as follows:

"1739. At a Court of General Quarter Sessions, held at Lancaster, the Seventh day of August, in the thirtieth year of His Majesty's reign Anno Dom. before John Wright, Tobias Hendricks, Thomas Edwards, Samuel Jones, Edward Smout, Thomas Lindley, Anthony Shaw, Samuel Boyd, James Armstrong and Emanuel Carpenter, Esqrs. Justices of our Lord the King, the Peace of our said Lord the King, in the said county to keep, as also divers ffelonys, tresspasses &c other misdeeds in the said county committed to hear & determine assigned.

"Upon the Petition of Several of the Inhabitants of the township of Hallem, on the West side of Susquehanah, setting forth the necessity of a road from John Wright's fferry, towards Potomac river, and praying that persons may be appointed to lay out the Same: Ordered by ye Court, that Joshua Minshall, Henry Hendricks, ffrancis Worley Jun', Christian Crowl, Michael Tanner & Woolrick Whistler view and, if they or any four of them se cause that they lay the same by course and distance, ffrom the said fferry

to the line dividing the Provinces, and report ye same to ye next Court."

At a Court of General Quarter Sessions held on the 5th and 6th days of February, 1740, the following return of the viewers was handed to the Court:

"The Persons appointed at the August Court last & continued to November Court following do report that, pursuant to order, they have viewed and laid out a road from Susquehanah river South Westerly, towards the Province line, according to the courses & distances following, viz.: Beginning at the said river, in the line between the lands of John Wright Jun. and Samuel Taylor; thence South 80 deg. West 430 per. 71 deg. West. 562 per, to Crawl's run: South 70 deg. West, 430 per. to a marked white oak. West 76 per. to the Canoe run; South 68 deg. West 254 per. to a black oak; South 53 deg. West 540 per. to the West branch of Grist creek; South 66 deg. West 280 per.; South 84 deg. West 264 perches; West 166 per. to Little Codorus creek; South 82 lor; thence South 80 deg. West 430 per. 71 deg. West. 562 per. South 72 deg.: West 260 pr. to Big Codorus creek; continuing the same course 360 per. to Perrin's run, West 246 per. to Springle's field; South 72 deg. West 80 per: South-West 160 per; South 60 deg. West, 126 per. to the point of a steep hill: South 48 deg. West 134 per. South 69 deg. West 200 per. South 58 deg. West 240 per. to Loreman's run: South, 57 deg. West 40 per.: South 71 deg. West, 166 per. to a black oak, by Chrn Oyster's South 55 deg. West, 172 per. South 40 deg. West 330 per, South 52 deg. West 172 per. to Nicholas lougher's run: South 44 deg. West 380 per. South 58 deg. West 376 per.: South 22 deg. West 120 per. to the West branch of the Codorus creek: South 30 deg. West 66 per.: South 36 deg. West, 60 per.: South 26 deg. West 66 per.; South 104 per."

Here the court record of this proceeding concerning the road ends, but from the fact that the road was constructed

it is quite probable that the report of the viewers was confirmed.

By an act of the Maryland assembly this road was con-` tinued to the Potomac river. It practically followed the old Indian trail and was known as the Monocacy Road. It was over this road that Benjamin Franklin, in 1755, sent the 150 wagons and 200 horses he had secured in Pennsylvania to General Braddock in preparation for the ill-fated campaign against Fort Duquesne. Having learned that Braddock had determined to send officers into Pennsylvania to seize the horses and wagons needed, in order to prevent such a catastrophe Franklin offered to secure the necessary equipment, and, making his headquarters at Lancaster, he sent the horses and wagons he was able to obtain over the Monocacy Road to Braddock's camp at Frederick.

This was the route over which the settlers in Maryland sent their produce and manufactures to Philadelphia, at first by pack-horses and later by wagons. At first the wagons were home-made affairs, the wheels being sawed from the trunks of the gum, or buttonwood tree. Later came the well-known Conestoga wagon, 38 with its blue

38 It is remarkable how much misinformation is frequently crowded into the so-called "Historical Novel "-misinformation which is made to masquerade as fact. For instance, in "The Quest of John Chapman," by Rev. Newell Dwight Hillis, D.D., on page 80, appears the following remarkable explanation of the reason for building the Conestoga wagon in the shape in which it was made:

"Not until they came to the Susquehanna did Dorothy appreciate the meaning of these wagons, with the body built like a boat with prow in front and curved behind. Coming to the edge of the river, the driver drove the team into the stream until the wagon floated like a boat. Then the horses and running gears were driven back to the land, and the wheels and axles were placed in the body of the wagon which had now become a boat. One driver poled or paddled, the other led the swimming horses, until all were conveyed safely to the opposite shore."

body and bright-red running gears, drawn by four, six, or even more horses. When the first wagons made their appearance the owners of the pack-horses bitterly opposed their use, just as, a few generations later, the wagoners opposed the building of the railroads.

During the Revolution, when it was desired to transfer the British prisoners from Reading and Lancaster to some point farther in the interior, they were conducted over the Monocacy Road to the barracks at Frederick, Maryland, and to Winchester, Virginia. It was by this same road that General Wayne, in 1781, led the Pennsylvania troops to Yorktown. The Monocacy Road was macadamized in 1808, and, until the railroads were built, it was the main thoroughfare between Maryland and the South and Philadelphia and the eastern section of the country.