Liberty Highway – Wikipedia

The Liberty Highway was an auto trail in the United States linking New York City with Cleveland, Ohio.^[1] It passed through Binghamton, New York; Elmira, New York; Jamestown, New York; and Erie, Pennsylvania. First signed in 1918, it was named after the village of Liberty, New York.^[2]

Through New Jersey and New York, the route of the Liberty Highway was designated as Route 17. Today, much of these routes have been bypassed by freeways, most notably by Interstate 86. Throughout much of the Catskills and the Southern Tier of New York, old portions of the road are still named Liberty Highway or Old Route 17.

History[edit]

The moniker “Liberty Highway” was first given by R. H. Johnson, who was the manager of the New York branch of the White Motorcar Company. Because well-known highways like the Liberty Highway were clogged with traffic, he studied maps and found a more direct route through the Southern Tier, which was better maintained and far less traveled. He christened it after Liberty, New York, through which the route travels, and to the “spirit of the times”.^[2]

Johnson first published his route in Motor Age Magazine. Further publicity was brought by other publications, and a film commissioned by Johnson.^[3] The Liberty Highway Association was formed in 1919 to further promote the route.^[4]

Beginning with the designation of Route 17 over the highway in New York in 1924, the Liberty Highway label began to fall out of fashion, though it was still being advertised as late as 1928 by the AAA. When Route 17 began to be upgraded to a freeway, the Liberty Highway was long forgotten.^[3]

First routing^[5][edit]

Manhattan[edit]

New Jersey[edit]

New York[edit]

Rockland County[edit]

Orange County[edit]

Sullivan County[edit]

Delaware County[edit]

Broome County[edit]

Tioga County[edit]

Chemung County[edit]

Steuben County[edit]

• New York State Route 352, Chemung County Line to Corning Town
• Old State Avenue, College Avenue, Corning Town to Corning
• Market Street, Pine Street Bridge, Center Way, Corning
• New York State Route 415, Corning to Painted Post
• New York State Route 417^†, Painted Post to Jasper
• New York State Route 36^†, Jasper to Hornell
• New York State Route 21^†, Hornell to Allegany County Line
  • Almond Road, Hornell to Hornellsville

Allegany County[edit]

• New York State Route 21^†, Steuben County Line to Andover
  • Old Whitney Road, Almond
  • Whitford Road, Almond to Alfred Town
  • Shaw Road, Alfred to Alfred Station
  • Hardy Hill Road, Water Street, Main Street, through Andover
• New York State Route 417^†, Andover to Wellsville
  • Jackson Road, Dyke Road, Andover
  • State Street, Main Street, Wellsville
• New York State Route 19^†, Wellsville to Belvidere
• Allegany County Route 20, Belvidere to Cuba
  • Hubble Hill Road, Cuba Town
  • Main Street, Cuba
• New York State Route 305, Cuba
• New York State Route 446, Cuba to Cattaraugus County Line

Cattaraugus County[edit]

• New York State Route 446, Allegany County Line to Hinsdale
• New York State Route 16, Hinsdale to Olean
  • Old Route 16, Main Street, Hinsdale
  • Old Route 16, Main Street, Olean
• New York State Route 417^†, Olean to Jimersontown
  • First Street, Creekside Drive, Old State Road, Blair Road, Allegany
  • Center Street, Front Avenue, Salamanca
• New York State Reference Route 951T^†, Jimersontown to Steamburg

The former Liberty Highway still exists but is closed to traffic between Red House and Steamburg

Chautauqua County[edit]

• New York State Route 394, Cattaraugus County Line to Jamestown
  • Carter Street, Lindquist Street, Poland
• Second Street, Third Street, Washington Street, Jamestown
• New York State Route 430^†, Jamestown to Mayville
• New York State Route 394^†, Mayville to Westfield
• U.S. Route 20, Westfield to Pennsylvania Line at Ripley
  • Old Route 20, Forsyth Road, Ripley

Pennsylvania[edit]

Ohio[edit]

• U.S. Route 20, Pennsylvania Line at Conneaut to Cleveland
  • Old Main Street, Main Street, Conneaut
  • State Road, 46th Street, Edgewood
  • 46th Street, Main Avenue, Center Street, Ashtabula
  • West Main Street, Geneva
  • Red Mill Valley Road, North Perry
  • Ohio Route 640, Willoughby to Willowick
  • Ohio Route 283, Willowick to Cleveland
  • Saint Claire Avenue, 9th Street, Superior Avenue, Cleveland

Second-order bullet points indicate parts of the main route that were re-routed as the highway was upgraded

^†Former routing of New York State Route 17. As Route 17 was reassigned, the Liberty Highway designation was moved onto these new segments.

Later additions[edit]

As late as 1928, the highway association added other roads to its system, including realignments of Route 17.^[6] The following names are descriptive, rather than official monikers.

Chautauqua Branch[edit]

Little Valley Loop[edit]

Bath Loop[edit]

• Seneca Road, Hornell to North Hornell
• Steuben County Route 70A, North Hornell to Avoca Town
• New York State Route 415, Avoca to
  • River Road, Main Street, Kanoka
  • Spaulding Drive, Bath
  • West Morris Street, West Steuben Street, Bath Village
  • Babcock Hollow Road, Selleck Road, Coon Road, Utegg Road, Scudder Road, Bath
  • Little Acorn Lane, Maple Lane, Savona
  • Steuben County Route 125, Savona to Campbell
  • Steuben County Route 333, Campbell to Campbell Town
  • Barringer Road, Main Street, Coopers Plains

Watkins Glen Loop[edit]

• New York State Route 226, Savona to North Reading
• New York State Route 14A, North Reading to Reading
  • Altay Road, Schuyler Airfield, Station Hill Spur, NY 14A-14 Connection, Reading
• New York State Route 14, Reading to Horseheads
  • Reading Road, State Point Road, Watkins Glen
  • North Genesee Street, West Main Street, Owego Street, Montour Falls
  • South Genesee Street, Hanrahan Road, Montour
  • Rodabaugh Spur, Veteran
  • Highland Avenue, Stafford Road, Old Route 14, Millport
  • Watkins Road, Grand Central Avenue, Horseheads

Susquehanna River South Bank Loop[edit]

Port Jervis Loop[edit]

• New York State Route 42, Monticello to Port Jervis
• Pike Street, Front Street, Jersey Avenue, Port Jervis
• U.S. Route 6, Port Jervis to Wawayanda
  • Greenville Turnpike, Greenville
  • Castle High Road, Wawayanda

Hudson River East Bank Loop[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

List of roads or other routes with the same name