Minsi Path

United States Migration  Trails and Roads  New York  Pennsylvania  Minsi Path

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

History of the Minsi Path
The Minsi Path was named after the Minsi Indians. Like many other North American trails, its origin extends back into antiquity as a path used by Native Americans for thousands of years. The trail extends from the Blue Mountains in Pennsylvania to land in the south. It was used by early European settlers as their population expanded through Pennsylvania. Today the trail is known as Bethlehem Pike. Bethlehem Pike is a historic 42.21 mi (67.93 km) long road in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, connecting Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It began as a Native American path called the Minsi Trail which evolved into a colonial highway called the King's Road in the 1760s. Most of the route later became part of U.S. Route 309, now Pennsylvania Route 309.

This was an important route from New England and New York to the southern United States. An alternate route to the southern United States was the King's Highway.

Route
The Minsi Path connected Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kingston, New York through the following places:


 * Kingston, New York including the Ulster and Delaware Turnpike and Hudson River.
 * Ulster County, New York
 * Sullivan County, New York
 * Orange County, New York
 * Pike County, Pennsylvania
 * Monroe County, Pennsylvania
 * Northampton County, Pennsylvania
 * Bucks County, Pennsylvania
 * Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
 * Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
 * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania including the Forbes Road, Great Valley Road, Fall Line Road, King's Highway, and Delaware River.

Connecting routes. The Minsi Path  connected with several other migration routes:

Kingston connections:


 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike from the Salisbury and Canaan Turnpike at Salisbury, Connecticut to Kingston, New York to the Catskill Turnpike at Bainbridge, New York.
 * Hudson River

Northampton County, Pennsylvania connection:


 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths from Northampton County, Pennsylvania north to the Catskill Turnpike at Unadilla, New York on the Susquehanna River.

Philadelphia Connections:


 * King's Highway (aka New York City - Philadelphia Post Road) southwest from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Charleston, South Carolina.
 * Forbes Road west from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
 * Great Valley Road southwest from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Knoxville, Tennessee.
 * Fall Line Road southwest from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Montgomery, Alabama.
 * Delaware River