New York State Route 343
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| NY Route 343 |
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| Maintained by NYSDOT | |||||||||||||
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| Length: | 18.45 mi[1] (29.69 km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1930[2] | ||||||||||||
| West end: |  NY 82 in Millbrook |
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| Major junctions: |
 NY 22 in Dover Plains US 44 in Amenia |
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| East end: |  Route 343 in Sharon, CT |
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| Counties: | Dutchess | ||||||||||||
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New York State Route 343 is a state highway located entirely within central Dutchess County. It runs east/west from the intersection of NY 82 in Millbrook to the Connecticut state line near Amenia, where it continues eastward as Connecticut Route 343. Along the way, it has a 7.3-mile (11.7 km) concurrency with NY 22 from Dover Plains to Amenia where NY 22's concurrency changes to that of U.S. Route 44.
The route used the Dutchess Turnpike for its entire length, along with the nearby U.S. Route 44. It was a major transportation route at the time, connecting several local communities to Litchfield County, Connecticut and Poughkeepsie, New York. The highway was first designated in 1930 connecting Amenia to the state line but was relocated a few years later to run from Milbrook to Dover Plains instead. The route was later extended to its original alignment by 1947 using an overlap with NY 22.
Several landmark locations along the way include the Wassaic State Multiple Use Area, which is on the 343/22 concurrency, Beekman County Park in Amenia and the Troutbeck Conference Center, a large center off of Route 343 in Leedsvile, a hamlet of Amenia.[3]
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[edit] Route description
Route 343 begins at an intersection with NY 82 (formerly also U.S. Route 44) in South Millbrook, a hamlet of Millbrook. The road heads eastward, intersecting with an old routing of Route 82 and passing to the south of Millbrook Golf and Tennis Club. Route 343 passes through fields, residential homes, and farms in Dutchess County. The highway enters Littlerest after leaving Millbrook, and at the intersection with County Route 99, where it turns to the southeast for a distance. At County Route 23, Route 343 changes directions, this time to the northeast.
Route 343 changes directions a third time, going to the southeast once again. It makes rapid turns in direction as it enters Dover Plains. There Route 343 turns to the northeast and intersects with NY 22, the road it becomes concurrent.[4]
Routes 343 and 22 head to the north out of Dover Plains through regions of rural farms, fields and homes. The roads parallel the Tenmile River and passes a train station south of Wassaic. Routes 343 and 22 intersect with County Route 105, which merges in soon after. The two roads continue northward, intersecting with County Route 81 south of Wassaic. Route 81 is a former routing of NY 22. The roads parallel as they head north, coming through and leaving Wassaic uneventfully. Routes 343 and 22 pass the Wassaic Train Station to the east and the Silo Ridge Country Club to the west. Soon after, Routes 343 and 22 enter Amenia.[4]
Route 81 merges in as the main roads pass by Beekman Park in downtown Amenia. The roads pass a pond and split at the intersection with U.S. Route 44. 44 and 22 continue to the north, with Route 343 heads eastward towards the state line. The road passes south of the Amenia Cemetery, changing in directions several times. Route 343 intersects with County Route 2 and turning to the northeast. A few miles later, Route 343 crosses the state line and enters Connecticut.[4]
[edit] History
[edit] Old roads
Route 343 from the NY 22/US 44 intersection in Amenia to the Connecticut state line was part of the main line of the Dutchess Turnpike, which ran from Poughkeepsie to the state line at Amenia, mostly along modern US 44. Prior to the building of the turnpike, the section of Route 343 east of Amenia to the Connecticut state line was once a swamp and never connected Amenia to the state line.[5] The turnpike corporation was established by law in April 1802 and had finished grading the highway in 1805.[6] In 1806, a branch route, splitting off from the mainline at South Millbrook, was established to connect the hamlet of Dover Plains to Poughkeepsie. The southern branch used modern Route 343 from its western end at US 44 in South Millbrook to NY 22 in Dover Plains.[7][8] The Dutchess Turnpike had stone statues along its route to mark the way to different places including New York City, Fishkill, New York and Boston, Massachusetts. These stone statues were put up during the Revolution, helping with suppliers of salt, from Boston during the correct seasons for the item.[5]
What is now Route 343 became a major transportation route through Wassaic and Amenia. This highway grew significantly over the years, with settlements growing along the highway during the early 19th century.[9] The highway, which had helped General George Washington's troops during the Revolutionary War, had historical significance and also was the main suppliers to the villages of Payne's Corners (now Amenia), Washiac (now Wassaic) and Dover Plains. There were also a few factories along the way, including one for the Borden's Eagle Brand Condensed Milk, which was produced in the 1860s.[10] The state took over the turnpikes at the beginning of the 20th century.
[edit] Designation
In 1924, the main line of the Dutchess Turnpike was designated as New York State Route 21, connecting Poughkeepsie to the Connecticut state line as the original turnpike did. The road continued into Connecticut as New England Route 4.[11] In the 1930 state highway renumbering, old Route 21 was broken up into several state routes, with the portion between NY 22 in the hamlet of Amenia and the Connecticut state line in the town of Sharon renumbered as NY 343.[12][13] At the same time, the Dover branch of the Dutchess Turnpike between NY 82 in Millbrook and NY 22 in Dover Plains was designated as part of New York State Route 200, which ran from Poughkeepsie via Millbrook to Dover Plains. In 1932, the continuation of NY 343 in Connecticut was renumbered to match the New York route number.[2]
By 1935, however, New York swapped the designations of Routes 200 and 343. Route 343 now began at newly-designated U.S. Route 44 in Millbrook (part of former Route 200 became US 44) and ended in Dover Plains, while Route 200 was assigned to the Amenia to Sharon route.[14] The Route 200 designation was removed from the Amenia-Sharon road by 1947 and Route 343 was redesignated on it. The two segments were connected via an overlap with NY 22, which remains to this day.[15]
[edit] Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile[1] | Roads intersected | Notes |
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| Dutchess | Millbrook | 0.00 | NY 82 |
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| Dover Plains | 7.53 | NY 22 south |
Southern terminus of overlap | |
| Wassaic | 10.46 |  CR 81 (South Amenia Road) |
Former northern terminus of NY 341 | |
| CDP of Amenia | 14.92 | US 44 / NY 22 north |
Northern terminus of NY 22/343 overlap | |
| Leedsville | 18.45 | Route 343 |
Continuation into Connecticut |
[edit] References
- ^ a b 2006 Traffic Data Report for New York State (PDF) p. 284. New York State Department of Transportation (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Green Book, 1931/32 edition, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1931), map on pp. 146-147
- ^ New York State Department of Transportation. Amenia, New York quadrangle [map]. (1989) Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b c Google Maps. Overview map of NY 343 [map]. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
- ^ a b Newton Reed. Early History of Amenia. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Dutchess County Unit Federal Writers' Project (1937). American Guide Series: Dutchess County. William Penn Association of Philadelphia.
- ^ The Revised Statutes of the State of New-York, Volume III, 1829, pp. 587-624
- ^ Henry S. Tanner, 1823 and 1825 maps of New York, accessed via the David Rumsey Map Collection
- ^ Dutchess County Tourism Deparment. Dutchess County Tours. Dutchess County, New York. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Amenia, NY 12501. Mohawk.net. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ "New York's Main Highways Designated by Numbers", New York Times, 1924-12-21, p. XX9.
- ^ Leon A. Dickinson. "New Signs for State Highways", New York Times, 1930-01-12, p. 136.
- ^ Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering
- ^ Sun Oil Company. Road Map & Historical Guide - New York [map]. Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. (1935)
- ^ State of New York Department of Public Works. Official Highway Map of New York State [map], 1947-48 edition. Cartography by General Drafting.
