The North Mountain Historical Society

Meeting: May 2002

MAY 20, 2002

The History Buffs met on Monday, May 20 at the Brass Pelican. In the absence of Jim Vance, David Kline chaired the meeting. Dr. Donald Rabb returned thanks for the gathering and the food we were about to receive.

Following the reading of the minutes of the last meeting, David introduced Dr. Wilson Ferguson who spoke on the history of the Susquehanna and Tioga Turnpike.
Dr. Ferguson had a series of maps which he distributed. On these he traced the turnpike as it was built starting in Berwick, going through Jonestown, New Columbus, Fairmount Springs, Red Rock, Ricketts, Monroeton, and finally to Elmira New York. A turnpike, by definition is a privately owned road that one paid to use. Most people invested $100 with visions of big returns that never materialized. But the road was built.

A committee was named in 1809 to build this turnpike. In 1812 the contract was let to build the road at a cost of $1,150 per mile. Dr. Ferguson emphasized that it was not a road as we think of roads today. It was rough, rocky and narrow with occasional wide places for passing. Some places were corduroy, meaning logs were laid along the sides of the roads, other logs were laid across and fastened to the side logs enabling the stage or wagons to cross marshy places.

Stage stops were built along the Turnpike allowing for a change of horses and a break for the passengers to get a meal or spend the night.. One of these was the North Mountain House built at Long Pond by the Ricketts brothers. They had bought land (mostly at tax sales) until they owned 6000 acres. Some of this was sold to the State and became Ricketts Glen State Park. The Turnpike was completed in 1815, making a road from Berwick to Central New York State and opening up the area for stagecoach travel and for the transportation of goods.

Our thanks to Dr. Ferguson for a most interesting presentation.

The next meeting will be June 17 when William Matther will speak on the history of Jamison City.