Contributed by Bonnie Blau.
Source: Morton Montgomery's History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1909 edition; pp. 31-33.
Surnames: RICE, KINSER, REHRER, DERR, LIGHTFOOT, PARVIN, BOONE, LINCOLN, HULINGS, THOMPSON, ROBESON, BOON, POTTS, BISHOP, LEADER, SHULTZ
The earliest mention of a road in this vicinity is the road which was marked out in 1687, from the Delaware at Philadelphia to the Susquehanna, by way of this ford, and was known for many years as the Tulpehocken road. In 1768, a road was regularly laid out from Reading to the Susquehanna, at Fort Augusta, by way of Middletown (now Womelsdorf) and Rehrer's Tavern (now Rehrersburg), over the Blue and Broad Mountains, in pursuance of a petition from a considerable number of inhabitants of the county.The report was presented to the executive council on Jan. 19, 1769.
The road began "at the east end of Penn street, in the town of Reading, and extended through the same to the banks of the river Schuylkill, west 346 perches; thence south 87 degrees, west 33 perches across said river; thence four courses westwardly, a total distance of 2,814 perches to Second street in Middletown (now Womelsdorf); thence across the Tulpehocken creek, and by way of John RICE's tavern and Nicholas KINSER's, northwestwardly to Godfried REHRER's tavern (now Rehrersburg), and then by way of Henry DERR's house to Fort Henry, and over the Blue mountains, etc., in a northwestwardly course to Fort Augusta."
Fifty years afterward, this road from Reading to Middletown, and thence westwardly through Dauphin county, being a turnpike, a company for this purpose having been incorporated in 1805 under the name of Berks and Dauphin Turnpike Company.
The turnpike, however, was not begun until in 1816, just after the Penn street bridge had become passable. It was finished in 1817, and it was maintained successfully for nearly ninety years. In 1905, the company voluntarily released the toll charge for use of the pike by removal of toll-gates, to a point two miles west of the bridge; and it was freed to Wernersville, eight miles, in 1906 by the assessment of damages.
A road was surveyed by Samuel LIGHTFOOT in 1745, from Francis PARVIN's mill, near the mouth of the Maiden creek, southwardly to the ford, the present site of Reading, in almost a straight line about six miles in length, and confirmed in June of that year. In 1753, it was regularly laid out from Reading northwardly, and extended to Easton by commissioners from Berks and Northampton counties who were appointed by the executive council at Philadelphia.
CENTRE TURNPIKE
A turnpike was constructed on this road from Callowhill street in Reading, over the longhill (at cemetery) to the mouth of the Maiden creek, and thence northwardly by way of Hamburg and Schuylkill Gap; and northwestwardly over Broad Mountain, by way of a point now
Ashland, to Sunbury.A company for this purpose was incorporated in 1805, called “Centre Turnpike Company.
The turnpike was completed shortly before 1812.It was operated successfully and tolls were exacted until 1855, when it was abandoned.
In September, 1727, a petition was presented to the court at Philadelphia for a road to extend from the Lutheran Meeting-house at the Tulpehocken creek to the highroad at the Quaker Meeting-house near George BOONE's mill in Oley. Eight years afterward, the court appointed Mordecai LINCOLN, Marcus HULINGS, James THOMPSON, Peter ROBESON, Benjamin BOON and Thomas POTTS to lay out this road from the highroad westwardly to the Schuylkill ford.
They reported a road at June session, 1736, which began at the ford, and proceeded a little south of east in almost a direct line, to a road called the King Highway. It's eastern terminus was at a point near Amityville.
The road just mentioned was the road to Philadelphia for many years, until a road from a point near the Black Bear Inn,: by way of BISHOP's Mill, to a point near Molatton church, now at Douglassville, was substituted. In 1810, a turnpike was authorized to be constructed on this latter road from Reading by way of White Horse Tavern (Douglassville) and Pottsgrove, to Perkiomen Mills, at Perkiomen creek. In 1811, commissioners were named, and they immediately commenced its construction, completing it in four years at an average cost of $7,000 per mile.
It was made free in 1902.
In 1822 the State held subscriptions of stock in the three turnpike companies, as follows: Berks and Dauphin, $29,000 (individual subscription $63,905); Centre, $80,000 Individual subscription $62,000); Perkiomen $53,000 (individual subscription $133,000). Length reported: first, 34 miles; second, 75 miles; their 28 3/4 miles.
The road from the Old Philadelphia Road, near Schwartzwald Church, to the King's Highway (Pleasantville to Amityville) was laid out and confirmed in 1755. The Oley Turnpike is constructed on this road from Jacksonwald eastward. The company for this superior well-kept road was incorporated in 1862. The road extends from Black Bear Inn to Pleasantville, ten miles, and the cost was $50,000.
A road was ordered by the court of Lancaster county in 1750 to be laid out from Chester county line, in Caernarvon township, in a northwestwardly direction to Reading. It was surveyed by George BOONE, and reported in 1751. This is the road from Warwick Furnace, by way of Plow tavern and Green Tree tavern, through Union, Robeson and Cumru townships and along the western bank of the Schuylkill, to the Tulpehocken road opposite Reading. It was twelve and a half miles in length.
Neversink Road, from Reading southwardly to Flying Hill, in 1753.
Alsace Church Road, from Reading northwardly through Alsace township, in 1753.
Lancaster Road, from Reading, southwestwardly through Cumru township, in 1762.
Sunbury Road, from the fork in the Schuylkill above the Blue Mountain to the fork in the Susquehanna at Sunbury fifty-five miles, in 1770.
Bern Road, from Reading Northwestwardly over the Schuylkill at a point now occupied by the Schuylkill avenue bridge, through Bern township, in 1772.
Alsace Road, from Reading eastwardly through Alsace township into Oley, to a point in the King's Highway (supposed to be near Friedensburg, and how called Friedensburg Road), in 1776.
Plan of Roads to Reading
The accompanying plan will indicate in a general way how the prominent roads extended from Reading during its earlier history, and these have continued to be the chief thoroughfares for travel till now.
The substantial improvement of the public roads was a subject for discussion for many years, but it was not until 1905 that nay special legislation was secured.The taxpayers of Berks county immediately began to show their appreciation of the State's liberality.
Cumru township was the first to take practical steps by ordering the improvement of that portion of the Lancaster road from the Schuylkill river to the Three-Mile-House in Shillington, commonly called the Three-Mile-House-Road, and it was constructed under the supervision of State Highway Commissioner by Adam R. LEADER of Reading, as the contractor, during 1905-06-07, at a total cost of $18,326; of which the county paid one-sixth and the township one-sixth.This section of road had been used a great deal for driving purposes for many years and this marked improvement increased its use. Some time before 1905 it had been improved by the expenditure of a considerable sum of money (about $500) with the assent of the township supervisors, which had been collected mostly from the drivers of speedy horses at Reading.
The next township to take up the matter successfully was Washington and in 1908 the State Department looked after the construction of a new highway from Barto to Bally and thence toward Shultzville and SHULTZ's grist mill, upward of three miles. The total cost, including fine concrete bridge, was about $43,000, of which the county paid one-eighth and the township one-eighth (the reduced proportion having been caused by the amended road law of 1907).
And the third township was Amity, for the improvement of the road from Amityville via Weavertown, to the Monocacy creek, about two miles in length.It was constructed in 1908, including a superior concrete bridge.
Last Modified