The Great Shamokin Path (also known as the "Shamokin Path") was a major Native American trail in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania that ran from the native village of Shamokin (modern day Sunbury) along the left bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River north and then west to the Great Island (near modern day Lock Haven). There it left the river and continued further west to Chinklacamoose (what is now the borough of Clearfield) and finally Kittanning on the Allegheny River.
The Great Shamokin Path connected the Susquehanna River with the Allegheny River (and the Ohio River downstream of Kittanning). For several decades in the early 18th century, the villages of Shamokin and Kittanning were two of the most important Native American villages in Pennsylvania. Perhaps the path's best known use was by Moravian Bishop Ettwein and his group of some 200 Lenape and Mohican Christians in 1772. They traveled west along the path from their village of Friedenshütten (Cabins of Peace) near modern Wyalusing on the North Branch of the Susquehanna to their new village of Friedensstadt (City of Peace) on the Beaver River in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Today a 4-mile (6.4 km) long rail trail in Armstrong County follows a short portion of the Great Shamokin Path, and the former course of the Rural Valley Railroad.[1]
The village of Shamokin was just south of the "forks of the Susquehanna", the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River with the Susquehanna River (also known as the North Branch). From there, the Great Shamokin Path headed north and forded the river to current Northumberland, then went along the left bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River to the Shawnee town of Chillisquaque on Chillisquaque Creek. The path continued north through what are now Milton and Watsontown, where the path forked into two branches, both leading to Canaserage on Muncy Creek (today Muncy).
At Canaserage the river and path turned west, but there were at least two other paths that led northeast: the Wyalusing Path (along Muncy Creek to Wyalusing); and the Towanda Path (to Towanda), both on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River.
The Great Shamokin Path led west to the village of Otstonwakin (now Montoursville) on Loyalsock Creek and then to French Margaret's Town (now western Williamsport) on Lycoming Creek. The Sheshequin Path led north along Lycoming Creek to Sheshequin (now Ulster) on the North Branch Susuqhehanna River. Further west the path went through the village of Quenashawakee, forded Larrys Creek and Pine Creek and came to the Great Island, (now just east of Lock Haven).
The Great Island was an important crossroads with paths leading in many directions. The Great Shamokin Path left the river here (which turns north) to continue west along Bald Eagle Creek, fording Beech Creek and following Marsh Creek and Little Marsh Creek to its end. Then it climbed the Allegheny Front to modern day Show Shoe and on to Moshannon, where there were two branches possible to Kylertown. The branches differed in their fords of Black Moshannon Creek and Moshannon Creek, both of which were difficult to cross. From Kylertown the path continued west, fording Clearfield Creek before reaching Chinklacamoose (now Clearfield).
At Chinklacamoose the Great Shamokin Path rejoined the West Branch Susquehanna River and followed it west seven miles (11 km) to Curwensville, Pennsylvania and Anderson Creek. Several crossings of the Susquehanna were needed to avoid thickets of mountain laurel bushes here. The path then followed Anderson Creek a few miles, left it to go west to what is now Chestnut Grove, and then on to the Big Spring (now Luthersburg). There Mead's Path left to go northwest to Venango, while the Great Shamokin Path ran southwest and followed tributaries of and Mahoning Creek to Punxsutawney. Here the path's course is less clear, but it left Mahoning Creek to eventually follow Cowanshannock Creek to Kittanning and the Allegheny River.[2]
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