In Search of the Turkey Foot Road
The Turkey Foot Road study has been converted into a book
The Turkey Foot Road study that began on Korns.org
is complete, and has been published as a book by the Mount Savage
Historical Society. Titled “In Search of the
Turkey Foot Road”, the book traces the
history and route of the legendary Turkey Foot Road that crossed the mountain
barrier between the locations of present‐day
Cumberland, Maryland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. The book examines the Indian and bridle path antecedent
to the road, and the significant role it played in regional and national
events. It also presents a significant amount of information on the Ohio
Company Road, the Old Glade Road, the Hay’s Mill Path, and the history of the
Arnold’s Settlement area of Allegany County, Maryland. The book was written by Lannie
Dietle and Michael McKenzie, and edited by Nancy E. Thoerig.
“In Search of the Turkey Foot Road” is
a fascinating read through time in our own backyards. Flavored with bits of
interest in anecdotes and footnotes, and illustrated with copious maps and
photos, the book is a critical analysis of primary sources that will cause you
to marvel at the magnitude of information processed by Dietle and McKenzie. It
will teach you amazing things about the land, events and people around you, and
perhaps something about yourself.
For ordering instructions, visit the Mount Savage
Historical Society at mtsavage.info, or call 301-707-1114.
A brief history of the Turkey Foot Road
Before the French and Indian War, an Indian trail
ran from Ohio, passing through what is now Pittsburgh, on its way to Wills
Creek (now Cumberland, Maryland). It preceded the better known Ohio Company
Road by several years, and was used by the English to trade with the Miami
Indians. This trade precipitated the first organized large scale attack of the
French and Indian War, long before George Washington attacked Jumonville.
During the Revolutionary War, the route was re-cut and partially rerouted as a
supply road to Fort Pitt. In this embodiment, it became known as the Turkey
Foot Road, passing through Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset County,
Pennsylvania, and Allegany County, Maryland.
In its post-Revolutionary War heyday, the Turkey
Foot Road was important enough to be depicted as a principal route on state
maps. As such, it facilitated settlement in what was then considered the west,
and served the transportation needs of those living near it. Portions became
nineteenth century stage and toll roads. The route also facilitated early
industrial and mining development in Mount Savage and Barrelville, Maryland in
the days before the Mount Savage Railroad.
Click here
to read about the principal contributors to the book.
11-29-2010 Press Release with sample images
Promotional photos for news and magazine
articles
Map of the southern part of the road
Addendum
to the second edition
Chapter summaries
1. Introduction
This chapter introduces Wills Creek, Fort Cumberland, and Turkey Foot in
historical and geographical context, and provides a brief summary of the
history and route of the Turkey Foot Road.
2. The Indian and bridle path traditions
This chapter introduces surviving Turkey Foot Road traditions in the environs
of Mount Savage Maryland, Salisbury, Pennsylvania, and Confluence,
Pennsylvania. It also describes why the Turkey Foot Road received its name.
3. Gist’s journal indicates that a packer’s
path followed Jennings Run in 1751
A 1751 journal entry by an early pioneer identifies
the location where the common trading path navigated the second mountain ridge
west of present-day Cumberland. This journal entry provides concrete
documentary evidence that what we now call the “Turkey Foot Trail” or the “Turkey
Foot Path” was situated in the same water gap that was later exploited by
the better known Turkey Foot Road, and was in use before the Ohio Company road.
4. The Fry and Jefferson map shows a trail to
Turkey Foot
The Fry and Jefferson map was printed during the French and Indian War. It was
created by a man who was familiar with the Wills Creek environs. It supports
the Indian and packer’s path traditions in the Mount Savage, Maryland and
Salisbury, Pennsylvania areas. It also supports the tradition that in the area
west of the location of present-day Salisbury, a branch of the Turkey Foot
Trail followed a northerly detour. The tradition of a more northerly route is
presented in some detail by summarizing the written statements of a Salisbury
resident who was raised along the northerly route.
5. Early trade out of Wills Creek before the Ohio Company road
This chapter uses early colonial records to examine early trading routes from Wills Creek and Harris' Ferry that facilitated trade with the Miami Indians of Ohio. These trading routes preceded the more famous Ohio Company Road by several years, and
precipitated the first large scale attack of the French and Indian War.
6. Re-evaluating Ohio Company history
This chapter examines and disproves the common belief that the Ohio Company cut
the Turkey Foot Road. In order to prove a negative, this chapter necessarily
explores what the Ohio Company actually did do, where the Ohio Company’s road
actually ran, and what is known of their road from its use for military
purposes during the French and Indian war. Because of the need to explain what
the Ohio Company actually did, the chapter provides an interesting account of
events leading to active combat within Pennsylvania during the French and
Indian War. This chapter relies heavily on Ohio Company records, military and
colonial records, and contemporaneous articles. Little known colonial names for
landmarks are explored, revealing once common appellations for regions of
interest. These early names have been sources of confusion for at least the
past 130 years.
7. Why the Ohio Company and Braddock did not
use the Turkey Foot Trail
This chapter briefly explains why the Turkey Foot Road was not used as a wagon
road by the Ohio Company, George Washington, and General Edward Braddock. One
answer is provided by George Washington, and another is provided by geography.
8. The circa 1775 Leibundgutt
traditions
This chapter examines the Peter Livingood traditions,
using his business records to identify when he arrived in the area of
present-day Salisbury, Pennsylvania. This examination bolsters the supposition
that the Turkey Foot Road was being used in the time between the French and
Indian War and the Revolutionary War.
9. The mystery of Clinton’s 1779 road
This chapter explains why the Turkey Foot Road appears as a principal route on
maps that were made following the Revolutionary War. It draws upon colonial and
Revolutionary War records and early Pennsylvania surveys to show that the now
legendary Turkey Foot Road was cut during the Revolutionary War for military
purposes. In the area west of the location of present-day Salisbury,
Pennsylvania, this route was more direct than the route shown on the Fry and
Jefferson map, passing south of Mount Davis and remaining on the east side of
the Youghiogheny River. The location of George Morgan’s bullock pens provides a
decisive clue that indicates that the military route came to be known as the
Turkey Foot Road.
10. Reconciling Veech,
Clinton, and Tradition
This chapter briefly describes why the material about the Turkey Foot Road in
previous chapters is mutually supportive, rather than mutually exclusive.
11. Washington’s correspondence mentions the
new Turkey Foot Road
Before the Turkey Foot Road appears on post-Revolutionary War maps, it appears
in correspondence to and from George Washington.
12. The circa 1754 to 1801 path from
Cumberland to Jennings Run
This chapter describes a few early Maryland maps and legislative records that
concern the portion of the Turkey Foot Road between the locations of
present-day Cumberland and Corriganville, Maryland. The earliest is a 1762 deed
that describes the route along the west side of Wills Creek as the old Indian
War road.
13. Doctor Wellford's 1794 travel journal
The detail provided in Doctor Wellford’s 1794 travel journal helps to identify
the then-existing route of the Turkey Foot Road through Westmoreland, Fayette,
and Bedford (now Somerset) counties, Pennsylvania, and Allegany County,
Maryland. The journal provides information on several families along the road,
and proves that the depiction of the route near Salisbury, Pennsylvania on a
famous 1792 map is in error. The study
of Doctor Wellford‘s journal was a journey of discovery for the authors,
because they had little understanding of the Turkey Foot Road when the journal
was first encountered.
14. The west side of the Allegheny Mountain
Beginning with this chapter, the focus of the book turns from the study of
history to the study of the various alignments of the Turkey Foot Road. The
route study is supported by maps, early property and road surveys, tradition,
legislative acts, aerial photographs, and examination of physical scars on the
ground. The reasons for the various alignments are also considered. Chapter 13
begins the route study by describing and illustrating the route of the Turkey
Foot Road between Salisbury, Pennsylvania and the crest of the Allegheny
Mountain.
15. The east side of the Allegheny Mountain
This chapter details and illustrates the route of the Turkey Foot Road between
the crest of the Allegheny Mountain and the Maryland State line, and reveals
one of the alternate names given to a portion of the road. Of particular
interest are property surveys and aerial photographs that show that in the area
north of the state line, most of the Turkey Foot Road was located west of the
present-day Greenville Road.
16. Linking to the Bald Knob Road
This chapter describes and illustrates the route of the Turkey Foot Road
between the Maryland state line and the historic Arnold’s Settlement area of
Allegany County, Maryland. At least part
of the route was used as a stagecoach route at one time. Although abandoned long ago, this route survives,
under a different name, in the memory of living men. The route is easily
identifiable on nineteenth century maps, depression era aerial photographs, and
modern day satellite photographs. A plurality of roadbeds establishes heavy
use. GPS coordinates are provided for much of the most readily identifiable
portions of the route.
17. The 1804 route above Mount Savage
This chapter uses an 1804 road survey to prove a significant part of an
alteration of the Turkey Foot Road that ran from the Pennsylvania state line to
Archibald Arnold’s residence. Knowing where the road entered Pennsylvania was a
key to determining the route across Savage Mountain. Another 1804 road survey
proves the route in the vicinity of Barrelville, Maryland. The survey was preceded by a petition to the
1801 Maryland Legislature.
18. The route through Corriganville
This chapter explores the route of the Turkey Foot Road in the vicinity of
Corriganville Maryland. The western end
of this portion of the route is anchored by the 1804 survey in the area where
Barrelville, Maryland is now located. The eastern end is anchored by
interpretation of a 1797 Maryland legislative act. The route is shown, albeit
somewhat schematically, on post-Revolutionary War maps. This chapter also
identifies the locations of Indian Will’s cove and the sadly long gone Devil’s
Backbone rock formation.
19. The Hays Mill Path shared the route
This chapter details the part of the Hays Mill Path
that ran through what is now Southampton Township, Somerset County,
Pennsylvania. The Turkey Foot Road followed part of the Maryland portion of the
Hays Mill Path through the locations of present-day Barrelville and
Corriganville, Maryland. The foundation
for this chapter is the Southampton Township research that the authors
performed before commencing to write the Turkey Foot Road book.
20. A Catholic Church on the Turkey Foot Road
This chapter provides information on the early Catholic Church that was located
along the Turkey Foot Road near Archibald Arnold’s residence. The first priest lived his life in the
saddle, and is remembered for securing the property for the University of Notre Dame, where he is buried. An early church related
book establishes the probable settlement date for the Arnold’s Settlement area.
21. The road came down to the valley near
present-day Barrelville in 1793
This chapter develops the subject of early property ownership in the region
between Barrelville and Mount Savage, Maryland, in order to prove that the
then-existing route of the Turkey Foot Road came down out of the Arnold’s
Settlement area near the location of present-day Barrelville. This and the next
chapter provide important insights regarding the initial Mount Savage area
settlement, which is known as Arnold’s Settlement.
22. An 1827 road closure document
This chapter uses an early road survey to identify the pre-1827 route of the Turkey Foot Road between Archibald Arnold’s
residence and the location that is now the town of Barrelville. Part of the
route is still in use today. This chapter reveals that some parts of the Turkey
Foot Road are hidden in plain sight, and provides an interesting review of
various topics within the area of Arnold’s Settlement. It documents a portion of the Turkey Foot
Road that the book refers to as the Mule Field route. This section of the route
was once used as a stagecoach road, and included a horse changing station. In
the Arnold’s Settlement area, the route passed at least two early inns. This
route probably remained in use by stagecoaches until 1871, when rail service
finally came to Somerset County.
23. The pre-1804 Bear Camp route theory
This chapter describes a plausible theory concerning
the route of the Turkey Foot Road through Arnold’s Settlement before the 1804
alteration was made. The theory is supported by local tradition that indicates
that a route along the Bear Camp tract was the Turkey Foot Road, and was also a
stagecoach route. The presence of a heavily used primitive road is
indisputable. Parts of the route are identifiable by landscape scars and aerial
photography. A now invisible portion of
the route has been identified by recovery of a significant number of
horseshoes. One of the early settlers in Arnold’s Settlement lived in the area
this route passed through.
24. The later nineteenth century route
directly out of Mount Savage
This chapter explores the alignment that was known as the Turkey Foot Road in
the late nineteenth century. This route is supported by Jack Pyle’s statements
regarding his father’s childhood recollections. The route is also supported by
nineteenth century maps, and a still surviving but difficult to travel road
that already existed by 1842. The probable reasons for such a dramatic route
change are presented.
25. The Somerset to Cumberland Toll Roads
Two generations of a toll road were nineteenth century alignments of the Turkey
Foot Road. The first generation was known as the Somerset and Cumberland
Turnpike, and the second generation was known as the Wellersburg and West
Newton Plank Road. These roads were important to the areas they passed through,
and facilitated industrial and mining development in the areas of present-day
Mount Savage and Barrelville. For example, the Somerset and Cumberland Turnpike
was used to deliver coal to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia via Cumberland, Maryland.
26. The early 1900s road from Cumberland to
Mount Savage
This chapter uses photographs and maps to show the terrain and nature of the
Turkey Foot Road between Cumberland and Mount Savage, Maryland, with a special
emphasis on the Jennings Run water gap. A part of this road was improved as a
result of the 1904 State Aid Road Law. This chapter also covers the Old Toll
Gate store in Barrelville.
27. The 1833 route through the Narrows
The Narrows is the name of an important water gap that is located just
northwest of Cumberland, Maryland. Although the exact route of the Turkey Foot
Road through the Narrows is lost to time and construction, this chapter shows
the difficulty of the terrain, and describes the route that travelers would
have followed into Cumberland after the National Road was rerouted through the
Narrows. Essentially, the National Road along Wills Creek served as a
realignment of the Turkey Foot Road.
28. Nineteenth century maps
This chapter reviews a number of nineteenth century maps that show the areas
traversed by the Turkey Foot Road. Several of these maps are little known, and
cover the region of Mount Savage and Barrelville, Maryland.
29. The route through the Salisbury area
This chapter describes the route of the Turkey Foot Road through the location
of present-day Salisbury, Pennsylvania. The history of early bridges is
covered, and aerial photos are used to document the Cassselman
River fording site.
30. Salisbury to Winding Ridge
This chapter explores the fascinating section of the Turkey Foot Road between
Salisbury and Savage, Pennsylvania. The post-Revolutionary War route has been
proven using early property surveys. An alternate route is explored in detail
using tradition, landscape scars, and depression era aerial photos. It is
fascinating that the alternate route has survived in tradition, in lieu of the
route that appears on eighteenth century surveys. It appears that the
traditional route preceded the surveyed route, and has long been viewed as the
true route.
31. Winding Ridge to Turkey Foot
This chapter uses early maps and surveys to pinpoint the route between High
Point Lake and Harnedsville, Pennsylvania. It proves that certain present-day
roads follow the route of the eighteenth century Turkey Foot Road.
32. The route north of Harnedsville
This chapter explores the route of the Turkey Foot Road between Harnedsville
and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although the authors did not study this section
of the route as extensively as the route between Cumberland, Maryland and
Confluence, Pennsylvania, the chapter provides significant route details that
form a nucleus for future research. Some
of the landmarks along the way are Ursina, the Jersey
Church, Robert Skinner’s 1794 farm, Cornelius
Woodruff‘s place, and the Revolutionary War era bullock pens. A completely different
Turkey Foot Road is also described that ran from Somerset to Uniontown,
Pennsylvania.
33. A route through the Listonburg area
This chapter describes a route that is known by tradition as a southern fork of
the Turkey Foot Road. The existence of this traditional route is confirmed by
an early property survey, surviving landscape scars, and depression era aerial
photography. The property survey suggests that at least part of the route was
federally funded before the National Road.
34. Other roads called the Turkey Foot Road
This chapter describes another route passing through the Confluence area that
was also known as the Turkey Foot Road.
35. A floating sensation
This chapter describes the history and route of the Old Glade Road, and the
early significance of Connellsville and West Newton. In doing so, it untangles
the Turkey Foot Road accounts in the 1882 book “History of Fayette County Pennsylvania…”
36. Back-pedaling through history
This chapter revisits the subject of a French and Indian War map that depicts
routes going to “Three forks of Yohiogain” and “Great
Crossings”. The map is discussed in the context of other contemporaneous
maps and events.
37. Fort Cumberland
This chapter describes when Fort Cumberland was built, and provides details of
its construction, size, armament, and initial name. The objective of the
chapter is to address several undocumented, conflicting statements that have
been published over the years. Some sources say that the original fort was
simply renamed, while others say that Fort Cumberland was a second, larger
fort. Another source indicates that the fort was an improvement of an Ohio
Company structure. While far from comprehensive, this chapter provides some
thoughts on the subject that are based on documentary evidence.
38. History of the Turkey Foot region
As a courtesy to the reader, this chapter reproduces material about the
Confluence area from the 1906 book “The
History of Bedford and Somerset Counties Pennsylvania”. The material is based partly on documentary
evidence, and partly on oral tradition, and covers the earliest known settlers
in the Turkey Foot region. It describes the circumstances under which the area
was first settled, and some of the hardships the settlers endured in the harsh
and dangerous frontier.
39. Grandpa’s hatchet
This chapter describes the Turkey Foot Road research activities in
philosophical terms, and briefly summarizes the history of the road, concluding
the book.
Epilogue
The epilogue provides suggestions for future projects concerning the history
and route of the Turkey Foot Road.
Thumbnail views of several images from the book
The second edition of “In Search of the
Turkey Foot Road” includes 474 figures on a companion CD. Here are
thumbnail images of a few of them, along with brief descriptions. The figures
are comprehensively described in the book.
The dark
green line on this field is a crop mark that reveals the path of an 1804
alteration to the Turkey Foot Road. This 2010 photo shows both Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
This
depression era aerial photograph shows an important fording site on the Turkey
Foot Road. The book uses many such aerial photographs to document the route.
This 2010
photo shows a surviving portion of the 1780’s route of the Turkey Foot Road.
This
depression era aerial photo shows that a primitive road was actually a maze of
routes. The uppermost route, identified by pink dashes, was a nineteenth
century stagecoach road.
This is
one of many eighteenth century property surveys that identify the
post-Revolutionary War route of the Turkey Foot Road.
This map
illustrates the eighteenth century route of the Turkey Foot Road relative to
modern roads and property boundaries.
This is
an eighteenth century map that illustrates the Turkey Foot Road as a principal
transportation route.
This 2010
photo shows a surviving stone culvert from the Turkey Foot Road that is located
in a very secluded area of Greenville Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
This 2010
photo shows the deeply sunken route of the Turkey Foot Road across one of the
principal slopes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
