Indian Trails and Shamokin
| Other Indian Trails: |
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| The Susquehanna Path |
| The Wyoming Path |
| The Paxtang Path |
| The Bottom Path |
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Contrary to popular opinion, Pennsylvania Indians did not often use waterways as their main source of travel. Because canoe birch did not grow in Pennsylvania and because dugouts made from poplar, sycamore, walnut or elmbark were heavy and cumbersome, light weight canoes were hard to come by. Moreover the swift and shallow stretches found along the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers made for difficult and inconsistent travel. Therefore long before motor highways, wagon roads, or even bridle paths had come into existance the Native Americans were creating trails through the woods which could be used as sources for trade and cultural diffusion as well as revenues for battle. |
In 1924 Hilair Belloc claimed that Indian trails were what united the Five Nations and led to their success in battle: a trail “controls development of strategics and fixes the site of battles” he claimed.
Due to Pennsylvania’s moderate rainfall and light underbrush wooded paths made for easy and enjoyable travel. In addition the trails were made level and direct and situated above flood level or along well-drained ridges so as to create efficient and dry pathways. In fact, the Indians were so successful that even today their courses are frequently mapped and traversed as motorist routes. Yet despite their success, advancements in transportation methods coupled with the increasing white population caused many of the trails to become forgotten and worn over by pack horses and wagons. Farming, lumbering, railroads, house building and strip mining destroyed the once weaving pathways and most signs of these natural highways have disappeared. |
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