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The CCC was teenagers and young men for the most part doing work mostly with hand powered tools. So I would venture that they did not cut any new trails or roads. By the time of the Great Depression the original aligment had no longer been used by cars for a long time. Nature was starting to take over the road. So the CCC just went about making the original road clear of growth making it passable and creating a park access/trail road out of the original road bed.

Looking at the bottom photo. If you follow the a line from the red arrow head to the blue arrow head the terrain indicates, or better said as seeing the lay of the land that looks as if it was an old road way.

I grew up listening to Jean Shepherd at night on WOR 710 am. That man could turn anything into a great story. Shepherd would paint a picture with words fitting a US route view.

Yes Dave, Beals Pass was the place. Thanks for reconnecting me back to that place. Who does not like looking at old road scenes and then comparing them to what we see there today. Thanks, Jeffrey

I know that early gas station buildings having no service bay areas went from service pits to out side in the ground hydraulic lifts. For as we all know that lifts are better then working in pits. Safer too. I can see a shallow pit being another way to save on contruction costs. I have not seen any other use for a pit at a gas station that was not a service pit. So my vote is that is a service pit. The early pits only had one entrance, as the pit in your photo. As more work related deaths happened because of the auto going on fire. Where the fire was between the mechanic and the entrance to the pit blocking the mechanics escape out of the pit. This caused service pits to then be made with entrances at both ends to prevent mechanics from getting trapped. Now do you remember the then and now photos that was posted here that showed a tree covered hill that had a narrow single lane dirt road that ran through the mountain gap?

I saw this thread along time ago though I never posted because I procrastinated for about at least a few years before I join the forum. Though being I always liked seeing things from the past. Into automotive history. My dad worked as a mechanic from before the war. As Archie Bunker said: you know the Big One, W W 2. So it always makes me happy to find an old gas station when on the road. So time to respond that trench was a service pit. In the early days autos were serviced out doors. This is why many gas stations were able to be small in size because they did not have service bays. Now that pit was not very wide. Though in that video you can see as if the sides have shifted inward a bit making the pit look narrower then it originally was. There were some big cars made in the 1920's though many cars then were a lot narrower then cars of the post war years. So to have a car straddle the service pit safely best to make the pit on the narrow side. The pit only had to be wide enough for the mechanic to get in there with an oil drain pan and use a grease gun. Also that pit after 90 years could of filled in with a lot of wind blown dirt and debris so one can no longer see the true depth. (Reminds me of the ARM post where some one showed photos of a narrow mountain gap from say 1920's and now, think the location was in Calif. Boy did time change that road grade.) Also money could of been tight when the pit was built and the mechanic sat on a short stool that was on casters as he would do a LOF. Also pretty much all auto's in the 1920's used at least 20" wheels which made those automobiles sit a lot higher then we realize.

Some of you may have already read that I have always wanted to go coast to coast on US 20 and US 6. I have only been as far west on US 6 as Wellsboro, PA. I do not have old maps. So I have been doing my exploring on google. One of my thoughts was being that US 20 and US 6 both ran so close to the great lakes to Chicago that back in they day they had to of shared the same road bed in many places. Well today thanks to Dave I found out that US 6 went into Eire, PA and did join up with US 20. Today US 6 goes quite a bit south of Erie. Maria, are you going to take the current alignments or try to retrace the original alignments that Gma took? I hope so. To write about what those three girls did in 1929. You have to drive in their tire tracks. The die was cast for your trip in 1929.

Dave, I looked at the Mixer's strip maps and found that US 6N at Mahopac, NY was the original alignment. Also, the Mixer's strip maps showed the original way US 6 went entered and left Goshen, NY. Your Mixer's maps have now changed the road mileage from Bridgeport to Hawley from 148 miles to 149 miles. My total of 149 miles comes from the starting point at the intersection of US 1 and Main Street, Bridgeport. So depending on where in Bridgeport Gma and her two friends left from that last mile can be found to match Gma's 150 mileage for the first leg.

Obi wan, what is a Mixers Road Guide?

Dave, I really enjoyed reading that article. Thank you for sharing. Jeffrey

Today I signed up on google and now can save my maps but I still can not get them to post on here. My first route had you bypassing US 6 until you got to Peekskill, NY. The mileage figure that you got was 135 miles for my route. I got 142 miles. This makes me think that you followed modern day alginments. Google has US 6 going through Bear Mountain State Park. Though if you look at Daves 1928 map US 6 goes north after crossing Bear Mountain Bridge to Highland Falls, NY, on what is now US 9, old NY 218, to NY 218, to US 6 to Haramin, NY. This can be determined when the current alignment and the old alignment are overlaped. You can see as in this case old US 6 has to of been what is now 218. Dollars to doughnuts that what is now US 9W shared the same road bed from the BM bridge to Highland Falls as old NY 218. Also if you follow NY 17 instead of NY 17M you followed the current day road alignment instead of the previous alginment. I can not say NY 17M was the alignment your Gma took in 1929 though it will be very close to it. NY 17 is no where near to where your Gma drove. Also when looking at google maps or any modern map you have to be able to look where the original road went instead of where it goes now. Example look on google map for New Hampton, NY. It shows 17M and 6 going under I 84 then US 6 goes left and back under I 84. There is no sense for US 6 to go that far then cut back. It clearly makes sense that US 6 split from NY 17M and went west on what is now county road 56. Quite often when the state alignment changes a digit from the old route is included in the new county route number. Another thing to consider when trying to retrace Gma's route bridges that were there in 1929 are usually gone now. Example you can still cross from Port Jervis, NY to Milford, PA on the US 6 bridge. However if you tell goole to map the trip in this case and most times it will put you on I 84 and have you take the newer interstate bridge to cross the river. This change will throw off your Gma's mileage. Another area is with time the roads get straightened and this will lower mileage. On US 6 about 3,000' east of PA 434, there appears to be an earlier alignment of US 6. Your eyes must get acustomed to finding these original segments. This one is too small to change the mileage on goolge maps. Though enough of them will throw off you trying to match your Gma's roads to today's roads. Relying on google without having the old maps to compare will make your use of Gma's mileage alone will not be accurate enough to retrace her foot steps. Or should I say tire tracks. Though today I redid the start of my route by going north from Bridgeport on CT 111 to CT 25 north, to US 6 to Newtown and my mileage total is 148 miles for that way. I can see Gma and her friends going that way because 6 miles was not enough of a savings when they most likely going to take US 6 all the way to Chicago, Illinos. Mental comfort of starting out on the right foot from taking US 6 as soon as possible and being Gma first leg of 150 miles is only 2 miles more then 148 miles on google maps.

How can you take a google map that has a route that you made and get it in a post on American Road Forum. Clicking on the chain link symbol on google and here has only gotten me a link in the post that does not work. I would like to do have the choice to do both, have the map appear in a post or put a link in the post. https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=41.191702,-73.196926&daddr=Mt+Pleasant+Rd+to:41.4147526,-73.6860165+to:41.3633877,-73.7733024+to:41.2911458,-73.9302388+to:Highland+Falls,+NY+to:41.3094559,-74.1490881+to:N+Main+St+to:New+York+17M+W+to:41.3943237,-74.3108384+to:Denton+Hill+Rd+to:Jersey+Ave+to:Milford,+PA+to:41.3935129,-74.98987+to:Hawley,+PA&hl=en&sll=41.192348,-73.200188&sspn=0.03843,0.077162&geocode=FRaJdAIdghqj-w%3BFUjydwIdLjGh-w%3BFWDwdwIdAKSb-ylLKXwiCk3diTFv35CMiYq2jw%3BFbsndwIdCk-a-ykXQCJD7bTCiTG5ViG2SXsqxw%3BFYkNdgIdAuqX-ykXsKG808jCiTFTE0u85w0LqA%3BFaw-dwIdVl2X-ym1cLvHN8zCiTGVgQkRdqIpkw%3BFQ9VdgIdIJOU-ykZ75mqatfCiTFSK9SwqkzB2w%3BFS1jdgIdO3CU-w%3BFTpidwIdClmS-w%3BFZOgdwIdShuS-ylfM9adACzDiTEn4pLzVjaHsA%3BFa7JdwIddLeQ-w%3BFVlCdwId4lSM-w%3BFUyHdgIdLJuK-ykvlF3fFVvDiTGcvgwi7ZwpHw%3BFWiddwId0r6H-ylPppnT6afEiTE6rtxyZNdHRg%3BFVLfeAId2c-E-ylRPPqxtLHEiTHcHEUCl_7wBg&dirflg=h&via=2,3,4,6,9,13&t=m&z=9

Keeping secrets is bad. Working with clues is half the fun on this forum.

Keep the show on the road Looking at your 1928 map I see them not going straight north to pick up US6 because they would have to go to far out of their way before the would be heading west on US6. I think that they would of left Bridgeport on US1 south till they reached Westport, CT then head up north through on Wilton Rd, through Wilton CT, then Georgetown, CT, on Danbury Rd what is now US7 north. Then when once past Georgetown, CT west on 102 till Ridgefield. Where they would of made a quick left south on 33, then a quick right on 35 over the NY/CT state line. NY 35 appears to be 329 in CT on the 1928 map and there is no route number assigned to the NY road on the 1928 map thought the road that goes through South Salem, Cross River, Katonah, Yorktown Heights is NY 35 today. Being they were local they should of known how to go this more direct way to the Bear Mtn Bridge. Then take NY35 to meet up with US6 at Peekskill which is about 2 miles south of Bear Mtn Bridge.

I have driven US6 from CT/NY border to Wellsboro PA. Many times we would take old NY 17 to Clark Summit, PA, just north of Scranton, through the 1970 and on to visit family there. Still a nice road to take. Thing is NY22 has always been my favorite road. I had an old map that showed, think it was a 1936 AAA map that showed the route starting in lower Manhattan where US 22 terminated. I retraced NY 22 through the Bronx in 1972 when I found old NY state hwy markers. Found a Cadillac Dealer still in business in an old art deco-ish type building. Building was very lavish looking and beautiful and is still there but the dealership is gone. Though this post is about how your map gave me some more NY22 history. That US7 and NY 22 were one and the same. Up till now as far as I knew was that US7 ran parallel to NY22 but east in CT, MA, VT. It looks as CT3 and CT128 is now signed as US7 from the short segment that the map shows.

Fellow Jeep fan. I have a 2005 wrangler unlimited. Dual top, 6 sp. Love to take the doors off.

My 2001 gets 20.7 mpg hwy doing 75. 5.3l, 3.42 rear, 4sp OD. New ones now have direct injection, 6sp with two overdrives, 5th and 6th.

I owned a 1931 Model A 5 window coupe around 1970's. If you could do the trip in a Model A today I bet you would get the trip done in half the time with the way roads are now. I would like to read details of your Gma's trip as far as repairs, break downs, gas, oil, etc. Do you plan on trying to follow the original route that Gma took? Forget the Mustang for your trip for they do not have the heart of Henry's Fords. To me the best automobile for road exploring is a GM Suburban for it's interior space, and ride comfort. Though a 4dr Jeep Wrangler with half doors, soft top, all the side curtains off. Only if I had the time and the money.

Welcome Maria, who would not want to re trace your G ma's tire tracks. What is going to be the automobile of choice for your trip?

I'm not a big guy but always felt they pinch me in and it was an illusion that bucket seats held me place. What I found was two hands on the wheel and my left foot braced by planting it firmly against the floor boards pressing my back against the seat was all I needed to stay put when centrifugal forces were excessive. If bucket seats where that good they would not need seat belts in cars with bucket seats. I love to drive my Jeep Wrangler with the doors off. I find those bucket seats are not adequate enough to make me feel secure let alone keep me from falling out. Yes I know I don not like bucket seats and I have two auto's with them.

I think you felt the vibrations more on the Ford because the floor shift lever is connected direct to the transmission where a column shift has several linkage rods that had a lot of play in them. I had a used 1978 Chevy Nova, 250 S6, 3 spd column, and a 1950 Ford F1 3 spd floor that I bought around 1977. Trans would slip out of 2nd into neutral when pulling up a steep grade or accelerating hard. My dad taught me how to rebuild the transmission. There was a place in Queens, NY where we bought all NOS gears and bearings. I was never into foreign cars though I liked the MG TC and TD's. Though I was into collecting antique cars and had bought a 1961 MGA for $225. Had if for a few months and decided to sell it. Got $450. As to bench seats, they are the most comfortable seats for a car. And you can have a girl friend or wife sitting right next to you. But I warn do not attempt to have both do it at the same time. Don't ask me how I know (just kidding I have the worlds best wife). We bought a GMC suburban in 01. I wanted leather. Leather only came in buckets with a console in the middle. Bench only came in cloth. Now ten years later GM has bench and buckets with leather upholstery. For ten years I still complain that why didn't they have leather bench seats as an option.

I remember that post. It was good to see the before and after photos of the cut, again.

I google mapped the long and lat and what I saw was not stone walls. Looked nothing as the stone walls alomg the roads in NY and New England. It looks more as sudden drop offs in the erosion line making the appearance of the remains of stonewalls. Another reason is stone walls were made to mark off property lines so are placed near to the road. Those "walls" appear to be set to far back from the road to be of any purpose. So that indicates they are not man made.

I have read here for years though I have only posted here a short time. Were you the guy that had 5 monte carlos? I remember you posting about how it was a sad time for you had to sell 4 of them. I know what it is like to sell a car you are attached to. First time it was indirect. It was in 1966. My dad was working in a Ford dealer when an elderly couple about 70 years old brought in their 1950 Ford 2 dr sedan, flat head straight 6 with a 3 speed on the column. They were the original owners. Complaint was the engine was making a knocking sound. Another mecahnic got to look at the car and said the engine bearings bad and the engine was shot. So the old couple decided the car was not worth fixing and wanted to sell it. My dad heard the Ford run and it sounded as a blown head gasket near an exhaust valve. So my dad got to buy the car for $25. Point was when we went to get the car I remember the old folks eyes were tearing as we left. Direct experience was in 1992 I sold the first car I ever owned. I bought that car in the summer of 1970. The car was a 1935 Buick 3 window coupe. Sometimes I will miss that car though I do not regret selling it. I do not do FB. So I hope you keep coming back to AR.

I do my road tripping out west by google maps and google earth. The site I have found best for finding the road names that still exist forUS routes that had the numbered route signs taken down is us-highways.com. I like historic66.com They give turn by turn directions which allows me to follow the road on google maps. lincolnhighwayassoc.org is another site I like. Have not been on it in a while. Today I found they now have a map that shows the whole original 1913 route and a 2nd and 3rd alginments. Thanks for sharing.