Pikes

[timewalker]

A general question. What, exactly, was a "pike"? (the Chambersburg Pike, the Emmitsburg Pike, etc.)

I realize it was a road, but was it surfaced as opposed to a dirt track? What was the difference between a "road" and a "pike"?

 

[Dred]

A more improved version of a regular road... still dirt, of course, back then. Usually the name of the pike was where it was leading to. So... now a days route 522 from Front Royal to Winchester, going north, towards Winchester, was the Winchester Pike, going south, towards Front Royal, was the Front Royal pike. Still is today actually, except its "road" instead of "pike" today.

 

[Blockaderunner]

I think pike is an abreviation of turnpike or tollpike. Which means the road was a toll road, or had been at some time.

 

[ole]

Think Blockade might be the closest. I have always figured that a pike (or turnpike or toll pike) represented a bit of an improvement over normal. It might not have been macadamized, but it was well travelled and probably reasonably well maintained -- often by those who ran the toll gate.

ole

 

[Borderruffian]

Blockade is right. Pike was a turnpike. Go down south at least around Nashville and it's still informally used. i.e. Gallatin Pike, Granny White Pike etc.