The Great Wagon Road, also known as the Philadelphia Wagon Road, is an historic trail in the Eastern United States that was first traveled by indigenous tribes and later by explorers, settlers, soldiers, and travelers during the colonial era. It extended more than north to south along the eastern seaboard, from British Pennsylvania to North Carolina via the Great Appalachian Valley and from there further south to Georgia.
History
The heavily traveled Great Wagon Road was the primary route for the early settlement of the Southern United States, particularly the "backcountry". Although a wide variety of settlers traveled southward on the road, two dominant cultures emerged. The German Palatines and Scotch-Irish immigrants arrived in huge numbers because of bloody religious conflicts and persecution of Protestants by monarchies in Great Britain and Europe. The mostly Protestant German Palatines (also known as Pennsylvania Dutch) tended to find rich farmland and work it zealously to become stable and prosperous. The other group, mostly Protestant Presbyterians known as Scotch-Irish, tended to be restless, clannish, fiercely independent, and nurtured a centuries old animosity with the British Crown. The Scotch-Irish made up a substantial portion of the Continental Army and the state militia in the American Revolutionary War. They went on to form what became the backbone of Appalachian Culture. Partly because of the language difference, the two groups tended to keep to themselves.
Beginning at the port of Philadelphia, where many immigrants entered the colonies, the Great Wagon Road passed through the towns of Lancaster and York in southeastern Pennsylvania. Turning southwest, the road crossed the Potomac River and entered the Shenandoah Valley near present-day Martinsburg, West Virginia. It continued south in the valley via the Great Warriors' Trail (also called the Indian Road), an existing route established by centuries of Indian travel over ancient trails created by migrating buffalo herds. The Shenandoah portion of the road is also known as the Valley Pike. In 1744, the Treaty of Lancaster established colonists' rights to settle along the Indian Road. Although traffic on the road increased dramatically after 1744, it was reduced to a trickle during the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War) from 1756 to 1763. After the war ended, it was said to be the most heavily traveled main road in America.
South of the Shenandoah Valley, the road reached the Roanoke River at the town of Big Lick (present-day Roanoke). South of Roanoke, the Great Wagon Road was also called the Carolina Road. At Roanoke, a road forked southwest, leading into the upper New River Valley and on through Abingdon, Virginia, to the Holston River in the upper Tennessee Valley. From there, the Wilderness Road led into Kentucky, ending at the Ohio River where flatboats were available for further travel into the Midwest and downriver to New Orleans.
After 1748, from Big Lick/Roanoke the Great Wagon Road passed through the Maggoty Gap (also called Maggodee) to the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Continuing south through the Piedmont region, it passed through the present-day North Carolina towns of Winston-Salem, Salisbury, and Charlotte, and sites of earlier Indian settlements on the historic Indian Trading Path. The Great Wagon Road ultimately reached Augusta, Georgia, on the Savannah River, a distance of more than from Philadelphia.
Despite its current name, the southern part of this road was not passable by wagons until later colonial times. The 1751 Fry-Jefferson map on this page notes the term "Waggon" only north of Winchester, Virginia. In 1753, a group of wagon travelers reported that "the good road ended at Augusta" (now Staunton, Virginia), although they did keep going all the way to Winston-Salem. By all accounts, it was never a comfortable route. The lines of settlers' covered wagons moving south were matched by a line of wagons full of agricultural produce heading north to urban markets; these were interspersed with enormous herds of cattle, hogs, and other livestock being driven north to market. Although there surely would have been pleasant areas for travel, road conditions also could vary from deep mud to thick dust, mixed with animal waste. In general, travelers preferred high and dry roads, but they also needed regularly spaced water sources for their horses (and for themselves). Inns were generally built near flowing springs, but provided only the most basic food and a space to sleep.
Today, it is possible to experience many segments of the old road by car, by bike, or even on foot. Although most of the road has seen profound changes, some areas retain scenery much as the pioneers encountered it.
Road description The following tables summarize the segments of the Great Wagon Road, with links to details on each section and a Google map showing the current roads and a satellite view of the area.
Note: The segments and distances are approximations; actual paths varied constantly with fallen trees, floods, etc.
OrderSegmentDateApproximatedistance(miles)Approximatedistance(km)Google Maps link1#Philadelphia to York, Pennsylvaniacirca 175494151Map2#York, Pennsylvania to Winchester, Virginia via Old Monocacy Roadcirca 1730117188Map3#York, Pennsylvania to Winchester, Virginia via Nichols Gapcirca 1754114183Map4#York, Pennsylvania to Winchester, Virginia via Black's Gapcirca 1754112180Map5#Winchester to Roanoke, Virginiacirca 1754187301Map6#Roanoke, Virginia to Wachovia, North Carolinacirca 1754128206Map7#Wachovia to Salisbury, North Carolina via the Trading Fordcirca 17654674Map8#Wachovia to Salisbury, North Carolina via the Shallow Fordcirca 17655589Map9#Salisbury, North Carolina to Charlotte, North Carolinacirca 17753861Map10#Charlotte, North Carolina to Augusta, Georgia via Camden and Columbia, South Carolinacirca 1775190310Map11#Charlotte, North Carolina to Augusta, Georgia via Union and Columbia, South Carolinacirca 1775209336Map12#Alternate path from Union, South Carolina to Augusta, Georgia, via Pelzer, South Carolinacirca 1775187301Map
Philadelphia to York, Pennsylvania
Location Present-day road segment number Present-day road segment name Distance covered Remarks Philadelphia, Market Street, at Delaware River State Road 3 (PA-3) Market St By about 1740, milestones were placed along the side of the Great Wagon Road to Lancaster (known as the "King's Road", or occasionally the "Conestoga Road"), each with a chiseled number, indicating the distance in miles from the Quaker meeting house at Second Street and High Street (now Market Street) in Philadelphia (example: "20 M to P"). Schuylkill River Ferry (now a bridge) PA-3 Market St The Strasburg Wagon Road (first used 1716, rebuilt 1790) branched here, continuing along present-day PA-3, PA-162, PA-372, and PA-741 through West Chester, Parkesburg, Gap, and Strasburg, Pennsylvania, from where a track continued through Willow Street village to the Susquehanna River at the mouth of the Conestoga River. This road followed roughly the ancient Great Minquas Path, also known occasionally as the Conestoga Path. In 1716, John Miller became the first regular wagon driver between Philadelphia and Lancaster County; he used this Strasburg Road. By 1717, there were two or three more wagons in use, including the first "Conestoga" wagon. PA-3005 Lancaster Ave Detour around Drexel University (founded 1891). This is where the 1795 Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike began. Crossing of Girard Avenue, Philadelphia US-30 Lancaster Ave Montgomery County line; at US-1 (City Ave) The Lincoln Highway (1916) from Trenton, New Jersey (US-1) joined the Lancaster Turnpike (1790) here. US-30 Lincoln Hwy This section (Old Lancaster Road) was relocated in many places in 1830 by construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad "Main Line". Delaware County line; at County Line Rd US-30 Lincoln Hwy Chester County line; at Sugartown Rd US-30 Lancaster Ave Crossing of US-202 US-30 Business Route Lincoln Hwy Downingtown (formerly Milltown), Pennsylvania (estab. c. 1716); Brandywine Creek Ford (now a bridge) The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike (built 1795) branched here, continuing along US-30 Business until rejoining US-30 west of here. US-30 now follows its path until meeting PA-462 at Lancaster. The turnpike continued along PA-462 to end at the Susquehanna River in Columbia, Pennsylvania. After 1913, the turnpike was renamed as a section of the Lincoln Highway. US-322 Manor Ave In 1803, the Horseshoe Pike (now US-322) was built from here to Ephrata and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. PA-4015 Edges Mill Rd PA-340 Kings Road The King's Road was built from Philadelphia to Lancaster in 1733. It became a section of the Great Wagon Road. PA-340 Old Philadelphia Pike PA-340 departs from the original Harrisburg Road at White Horse, Pennsylvania. Called "Old Peter's Road" (for Peter Bezaillon, who had a trading post at the end of the road), this packhorse road turned northwest through Springville, Groffdale, and Center Square, then over a future quarry to ford the Conestoga River, continuing south of Lancaster Airport to Mount Joy, then along Donegal Springs Road and Stackstown Road to the Susquehanna River at Bainbridge (formerly Conoy), Pennsylvania. Much of it is obliterated now by cultivated fields and residential developments. Lancaster, Pennsylvania (estab. 1730); Conestoga River Ford (now a bridge); Historic Fork of the Great Wagon Road Lancaster is where blacksmiths fabricated the famous heavy Conestoga wagons and supplied horses that were locally bred especially to pull them in lieu of oxen, commonly with a team of six animals.
In 1734, a segment of the original Great Wagon Road, the King's Road, now PA-230 (Old Harrisburg Pike), was built from the center of Lancaster through Mount Joy to Pine Ford (now a bridge) across Swatara Creek at Middletown, and past the Harris ferry (established 1712, now Harrisburg). Also, in 1736 there was built a well-used wagon road (now US-222 and US-422) from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Harris ferry.
Eventually from Harrisburg the King's Road continued to Carlisle, Shippensburg, and Chambersburg, then on to the Potomac River. In 1758 the Forbes military wagon road was built, branching west from Chambersburg to Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania, and on to Pittsburgh. Heavy wagon traffic carried supplies from Philadelphia through Lancaster and Harrisburg to the General Forbes army, which was based in Carlisle. (The 1751 Fry-Jefferson map is inaccurate for western Pennsylvania, showing only the approximate placement of segments of roads. For example, it shows the road from Shippensburg running too far west and ending at present-day Fort Frederick, Pennsylvania.)
Much later, in 1806, a group of Conestoga wagon craftsmen moved from Lancaster to the Harrisburg area where they set up business; the settlement was named Mechanicsburg in 1820 because of all their shops there. PA-462 King St + Columbia Ave + Lancaster Ave + Chestnut St Columbia, Pennsylvania (estab. 1726); Susquehanna River Ferry (now a bridge) The road from Philadelphia to here was paved with stones in 1795, and the railroad from Philadelphia to here was completed in 1834. Wrightsville, Pennsylvania (estab. 1806) (formerly Wright's Ferry) -- York County line (estab. 1749) PA-462 Lincoln Hwy + Market St York, Pennsylvania (estab. 1741); Codorus Creek ford (now a bridge)
York, Pennsylvania to Winchester, Virginia via Old Monocacy Road Continuing west at York, Pennsylvania: