The south road entrance to Peebles  Island State Park in Cohoes and Waterford 
was originally a military  road.  Today the road is called Delaware Avenue in 
Cohoes.   It runs straight northward on Van Schaick Island, past the historic 
Anthony Van  Schaick house (ca. 1735), to a ford crossing the Third Sprout of 
the Mohawk  River.  Then it continued on Peebles Island and crossed on land 
to the  Fourth Sprout of the Mohawk River, which was also forded over to the 
village of  Waterford, originally called Half Moon.  These islands are formed by 
the  four outlets of the Mohawk River into the Hudson River.  Since the 
entire  Mohawk River divides into four branches, and the river bottom there is 
level,  solid shale rock, the water in each branch was then relatively  shallow.  
Horses and wagons could easily cross by going from island to  island; this is 
the origin of the name "Waterford."  The word "sprout"  used here is the Dutch 
word "spruyt" meaning branch or sprout.  This  road may have been used as 
early as 1709 for military purposes, but more likely  it was built for military 
traffic in accordance with the orders for the Crown  Point Expedition from 
James de Lancey to William Johnson dated April 16,  1755.  Johnson was ordered 
from Albany "to proceed with the Train of  Artillery and ordnance Stores provided 
for the Expedition, under their Convoy to  Crownpoint, clearing as you pass 
along a practicable Road for the Transportation  of them and the other Stores, 
and to cause such strong houses and places of  security to be Erected as shall 
be requisite to serve for magazines of Stores,  places of shelter for the Men 
in their March and return to and from the said  City of Albany."  This is 
from the published Johnson Papers,  volume I, page 469.  In 1757 the British 
built a fort in the village of  Waterford at the Half Moon landing place of the 
road, north of Peebles  Island.  Until the late 19th century Peebles island was 
known as Haver  Island.   

At Crown Point there was a road built southward to Ticonderoga that shows  on 
many old maps.  Parts of this road still exist as Lake Road and Bridge  Road 
(Route 903), and other parts may be visible as traces closer to  Ticonderoga.  
At Crown Point there are visible remains of an original stone  bridge 
abutment under the present highway (Bridge Road) that follows the  military road.
 
    In present  Vermont much research has been done on a famous military 
road, the Crown Point  Road.  There is a Crown Point Road Association, and many 
sections of the  original road have been traced and identified.  

 
In a message dated 12/7/2007 5:03:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

 
Can anyone suggest resources that document road  construction in NYS for 
military purposes during the French and Indian Wars  and Revolutionary Wars.   
What current roads/routes in NYS date to  establishment for military purposes 
during this timeframe? 
Daniel Mackay 
Daniel  Mackay 
Director of Public  Policy 
Preservation League  of New York State 
[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])  








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