Catskill Road

United States Migration  Trails and Roads  Massachusetts  New York  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.

History
The Catskill Road, also known as the Catskill Turnpike, also known as the Ancram Turnpike, was one of the most important early routes for migration out of New England into central New York. It was 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, and beyond to Ithaca and Bath, New York.

The first major village began attracting European settlers into the Catskill area in 1745.

Stages. Stagecoaches generally began regular transport of mail and passengers on long trips in the American colonies in the 1760s. They made regular trips between stages  or stations where travelers were provided food and rest. Where available, stagecoaches became a preferred way for settlers to travel to a new home.

The Catskill Road must have been in use before the stagecoach inn was established in 1798 on the old Catskill Road in Ancram. The inn was popular with drovers taking their cattle to the Hudson River for market.

Tolls. As traffic increased along a roadway American political leaders turned to toll roads (turnpikes) to raise money to improve, clear, and repair their local highways. Toll revenue from stagecoaches, drovers, and other travelers was used to maintain the roadbeds and bridges, and, if there was enough left over (rarely happened), to pay a turnpike stockholder dividend. If turnpike revenue decreased too much, the roadway maintenance was typically turned over to the state and the path was made a free public road.

The Catskill Turnpike opened from Catskill to Unadilla, in central New York in 1804. The New York legislature in 1804 and 1805 approved feeder turnpike routes out of Connecticut. The rival Salisbury Turnpike (via nearby Gallatin) and the Ancram Turnpike both went from Connecticut to the Hudson River.

Railroad competition. The heyday of wagon roads into central New York was the early 1800s before the coming of the railroads in the 1840s and 1850s. Railroads were faster, less expensive, and safer to use than overland wagon roads. As railroads entered an area, the long distance overland wagon roads (especially the toll roads) normally became less used. The heyday of wagon roads into central New York was the early 1800s before the coming of the railroads in the 1840s and 1850s. After the railroads arrived, wagon road travel declined sharply.

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 (a) Barrington, Massachusetts via Hillsdale (Nobletown), New York, and to (b) Salisbury, Connecticut. Therefore, immigrants from Springfield could have chosen two main routes of similar length to arrive at Catskill:

Connecting Routes. The Catskill Road connected with several other migration routes:


 * Springfield connections:


 * Old Connecticut Path a pre-historic Indian path from Boston, Massachusetts to the Connecticut River Valley at Springfield, Massachusetts and south to Hartford, Connecticut.
 * The upper King's Highway, also known as the upper Boston Post Road, went from Boston to Springfield in Massachusetts, to Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut, and then on to New York City. From Boston to Hartford it followed the same route as the Old Connecticut Path. From New York City the King's Highway continued south to Charleston, South Carolina.


 * mid-road Massachusetts/Connecticut connections:


 * Greenwood Road from Hartford, Connecticut to North Canaan, Connecticut to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Albany, New York. The Greenwood Road crossed the Catskill Road (north) at Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The Greenwood Road crossed the Catskill Road (south) at North Canaan, Connecticut.


 * mid-road New York connection:


 * The Albany Post Road connects New York City to Albany, New York. The Albany Post Road crossed the Catskill Road at Livingston, New York.


 * Catskill connection:


 * At the town of Catskill, New York the Catskill Road (also known as the Ancram Turnpike) changed its name to the Catskill Turnpike on its way from Catskill to Unadilla, New York (formerly Wattle's Ferry) on the Susquehanna River, and then to Ithaca and Bath, New York.

Modern parallels. The modern roads that roughly match the Catskill Road (southern route) from Springfield to Catskill are:


 * From Springfield, Massachusetts cross the Connecticut River into Agawam, and take MA‑147 / Memorial Avenue going southwest 1.6 miles until it merges into
 * Southwick Street /MA-57 heading west for 37.1 miles to New Marlboro; turn south onto
 * New Marlboro Southfield Road bound toward Southfield 5.6 miles to turn right onto
 * the Canaan Southfield Road to Canaan, Connecticut. At Canaan turn west on
 * Church Street / US-44 W head southwest to Millerton, New York; there turn northwest on
 * N Elm Ave / NY-22 which eventually becomes NY-82 going past Livingston until it joins
 * NY-23 / Claverack Road west bound over the Hudson River bridge into Catskill, New York.

Settler Records
No list is known to exist of migrating citizens who used the Catskill Road or Catskill Turnpike and decided to settle along it. However, many of the earliest settlers in the area would have used this road to reach their new home. The Catskill Road would have attracted nearby settlers because it helped them reach markets for buying and selling goods and services. Therefore, the land records, tax records, and histories of the earliest settlers along the route would list the names of people likely to have used the Catskill Road.

Settlers along the Catskill Road are most likely to have originally come from Massachusetts or Connecticut, especially areas near Springfield, Boston, or Hartford.