Simpson Ferry Road
Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Built about 1792. It extended from Michael Simpson's Ferry on the Susquehanna to Carlisle, following, at this point, a course later known as Simpson St. Used by many persons traveling to western part of State.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Laid out around 1792, Simpson Ferry Road ran from Michael Simpson's ferry crossing on the Susquehanna River inland toward Carlisle, tracing at this point a route later remembered as Simpson Street. In the young republic it was a vital artery for settlers and travelers pushing toward the western part of the state.
Why it matters
Early roads like this one carried the westward movement of people and commerce that opened Pennsylvania's interior and beyond.
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Related people
- · Michael Simpson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Harrisburg
Wormleysburg, PA · est. 1947
Harrisburg began as Harris' Ferry, settled in the early 1700s by John Harris Sr. at a strategic crossing of the Susquehanna River. His son laid out the town in 1785, and in 1812 it became Pennsylvania's capital, cementing a role as a crossroads of travel and trade it had already held for generations. For over two centuries the site has funneled people and commerce through the heart of the state.
Harris' Ferry - PLAQUE
Harrisburg, PA · est. 1915
On the banks of the Susquehanna here stood the landing of Harris' Ferry, first granted to John Harris in 1733 and for half a century the name by which the future Harrisburg was known. It was among the most important crossings in early Pennsylvania, funneling settlers, traders, and pack trains westward into the interior and on toward the Ohio Valley. From this modest ferry grew the city that would become the state capital.
Cumberland County
Carlisle, PA · est. 1982
Carved from Lancaster County in 1750, Cumberland County once stretched all the way to Pennsylvania's western frontier, a vast gateway for settlers pushing toward the Alleghenies. Its seat, Carlisle, was founded the following year and became a crucial staging point on the roads leading west. In the colonial and early national decades, this was the edge of English America, where the Great Wagon Road funneled families toward the interior.
Cumberland Valley Railroad
Mechanicsburg, PA · est. 1992
Incorporated in 1831 and pushing rails from Lemoyne to Chambersburg by 1837, the Cumberland Valley Railroad became the economic spine of a fertile agricultural region. For more than eight decades it carried the Valley's produce and passengers, eventually reaching from Harrisburg toward Virginia before merging into the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad in 1919. The passenger station and stationmaster's house here date to the 1860s.