Bald Eagle Creek Path
Encyclopedia
The Bald Eagle Creek Path (also one of several known as the Warriors Path) was a major Native American
trail
in the U.S. State
of Pennsylvania
that ran from the Great Island (near modern day Lock Haven
) on the West Branch Susquehanna River
southwest to what is now the village of Frankstown on the Frankstown Branch Juniata River
. The path ran from Clinton County
southwest through Centre County
and a small part of Blair County
to its southern end in Blair County
. It was part of a "Warriors Path", an important connector between paths leading to New York
and the Six Nations of the Iroquois
and the Ohio River
country in the north and west, and paths leading to what are now Maryland
, Virginia
, and the Carolinas
in the south.
. The Great Island and surrounding area were home to several Native American villages, and were also at the intersection of multiple Native American paths. The Great Island Path
went east to the village of Shamokin
(modern day Sunbury
) at the confluence of the West and North Branches of the Susquehanna River
, and the Great Shamokin Path
followed the West Branch to the same destination, connecting to a number of other paths leading north along the way. The Great Shamokin Path left the river and continued west from the Great Island; it led to Kittanning
on the Allegheny River
. The Sinnemahoning Path
followed the West Branch west, then Sinnemahoning Creek
north to the Allegheny River and the Iroquois beyond.
After leaving the Great Island, the path ran along the west side (left bank) of Bald Eagle Creek and soon crossed into what is now Centre County, where it passed through what is now Bald Eagle State Park
. Opposite the Lenape
(or Delaware) village of Bald Eagle's Nest (modern Milesburg
), the path crossed the creek and went through the water gap
in Bald Eagle Mountain
made by Spring Creek
. The path turned south again at the site of modern Bellefonte
, and followed Buffalo Run along the eastern side of Bald Eagle Mountain as far as the modern village of Waddle. Continuing on a southwest course along the edge of Bald Eagle Mountain, the path left Centre County and crossed the extreme northwest corner of what is now Huntingdon County. There it passed the Native American village of Warriors Mark and followed Logan Spring Run into what is now Blair County.
In Blair County, the path followed Logan Spring Run to the Little Juniata River
, then followed that upstream to modern Tyrone
. Between what is now Tyrone and Bellwood
, the path briefly crossed the Little Juniata to the west (left) bank , then crossed back again to the east (right) bank. Continuing southwest, the path reached the current site of Altoona
and left the Little Juniata, heading south to what is now Hollidaysburg
. There it followed the Beaverdam Branch Juniata River to the Frankstown Branch Juniata River at the modern village of Frankstown and the southern end of the path. Several paths met at the Native American village of Frankstown, including a Warriors Path that led south to Maryland, Virginia, and on to the Catawba
and Cherokee
peoples in North
and South Carolina
. The Kittanning Path
was one of a few that led west from Frankstown to the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers.
chief whose village at modern Milesburg, Pennsylvania was known as Bald Eagle's Nest or Wapalanewachschiechey. The identity of Bald Eagle is unclear though. One chief with that name, who was "friendly and respected" was murdered on the Monongahela River
in 1773. Another Bald Eagle, for whom the historic record is less clear, is traditionally supposed to have been the leader of raiding parties against white settlers on the West Branch Susquehanna River during the American Revolutionary War
. He killed a brother of Samuel Brady
near Williamsport
in 1778 and Brady killed him on the Allegheny River in what is now Clarion County
the next year. In any case, Bald Eagle gave his name directly or indirectly to Bald Eagle Mountain
, two Bald Eagle Creek
s, the Bald Eagle Creek Path, Bald Eagle State Park
, the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad
, and Bald Eagle Township.
In 1949, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
put up a historical marker on Pennsylvania Route 150
near the borough of Howard
commemorating the path, which it called the "Warriors Path". Wallace's book Indian Paths of Pennsylvania, originally published in 1964 and since updated, noted that many north-south paths were called Warriors Path, and called this Bald Eagle Creek Path.
While the path no longer exists, several highways approximate portions of its course. From Lock Haven to Milesburg to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Route 150 follows the creek and general course of the path fairly closely. From Bellefonte to Tyrone, Pennsylvania Route 550
is a close approximation to the route of the path. From Tyrone to Hollidaysburg, US Route 220 and Interstate 99
approximately follow the path, and US Route 22 is on the same general route from Hollidaysburg to Frankstown.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
in the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that ran from the Great Island (near modern day Lock Haven
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...
) on the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
southwest to what is now the village of Frankstown on the Frankstown Branch Juniata River
Frankstown Branch Juniata River
The Frankstown Branch Juniata River is a tributary of the Juniata River in Blair County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.The headwater tributaries of the Frankstown Branch rise on the slopes of the Allegheny Front south of Altoona...
. The path ran from Clinton County
Clinton County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
southwest through Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
and a small part of Blair County
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
to its southern end in Blair County
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
. It was part of a "Warriors Path", an important connector between paths leading to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the Six Nations of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
country in the north and west, and paths leading to what are now Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
in the south.
Course
The Bald Eagle Creek Path started at the Great Island (today in the modern city of Lock Haven), which is in the West Branch Susquehanna River at the mouth of Bald Eagle CreekBald Eagle Creek (West Branch Susquehanna River)
Bald Eagle Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River mostly in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It runs through the Bald Eagle Valley at the foot of the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge to Lock Haven....
. The Great Island and surrounding area were home to several Native American villages, and were also at the intersection of multiple Native American paths. The Great Island Path
Great Island Path
The Great Island Path was a major Native American trail in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania that ran from the village of Shamokin along the right bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River north and then west to the Great Island .The village of Shamokin was just south of the "forks of the...
went east to the village of Shamokin
Shamokin (village)
Shamokin was a multi-ethnic Native American trading village on the Susquehanna River, located near the site of the modern Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Early in the eighteenth century, the village consisted of Iroquois migrants from the north, as well as Shawnee and Lenape settlers moving away from the...
(modern day Sunbury
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
) at the confluence of the West and North Branches of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, and the Great Shamokin Path
Great Shamokin Path
The Great Shamokin Path was a major Native American trail in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania that ran from the native village of Shamokin along the left bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River north and then west to the Great Island...
followed the West Branch to the same destination, connecting to a number of other paths leading north along the way. The Great Shamokin Path left the river and continued west from the Great Island; it led to Kittanning
Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Kittanning is a borough and the county seat of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The name means "at the great stream" in the Delaware language...
on the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. The Sinnemahoning Path
Sinnemahoning Path
The Sinnemahoning Path is an ancient trail which passes through what will be called Keating on its way to the upper Alleghenies. The Sinnemahoning Path followed the West Branch of the Susquehanna from “the Great Island” at Lock Haven to the Sinnemahoning Creek at Keating, to Portage Creek, then to...
followed the West Branch west, then Sinnemahoning Creek
Sinnemahoning Creek
Sinnemahoning Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Cameron and Clinton counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Sinnemahoning Creek is formed by the confluence of the Bennett and Driftwood Branches at the borough of Driftwood.The tributary First Fork Sinnemahoning...
north to the Allegheny River and the Iroquois beyond.
After leaving the Great Island, the path ran along the west side (left bank) of Bald Eagle Creek and soon crossed into what is now Centre County, where it passed through what is now Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Howard, Liberty, and Marion townships in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Joseph Foster Sayers Reservoir, formed by damming Bald Eagle Creek and other smaller streams and covering . Bald Eagle State Park...
. Opposite the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
(or Delaware) village of Bald Eagle's Nest (modern Milesburg
Milesburg, Pennsylvania
Milesburg is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,187 at the 2000 census...
), the path crossed the creek and went through the water gap
Water gap
A water gap is an opening or notch which flowing water has carved through a mountain range. Water gaps often offer a practical route for road and rail transport to cross mountain ridges.- Geology :...
in Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain, once known locally as Muncy Mountain, is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, running east of the Allegheny Front and northwest of Mount Nittany. It lies along the southeast side of Bald Eagle Creek, and south of the West Branch Susquehanna River, and...
made by Spring Creek
Spring Creek (Pennsylvania)
Spring Creek is a tributary of Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Spring Creek passes through a water gap in Bald Eagle Mountain and joins Bald Eagle Creek at Milesburg....
. The path turned south again at the site of modern Bellefonte
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and followed Buffalo Run along the eastern side of Bald Eagle Mountain as far as the modern village of Waddle. Continuing on a southwest course along the edge of Bald Eagle Mountain, the path left Centre County and crossed the extreme northwest corner of what is now Huntingdon County. There it passed the Native American village of Warriors Mark and followed Logan Spring Run into what is now Blair County.
In Blair County, the path followed Logan Spring Run to the Little Juniata River
Little Juniata River
]The Little Juniata River, sometimes called the "Little J," is a river in central Pennsylvania. It is a tributary of the Juniata River in the Susquehanna River watershed. It is formed at Altoona by the confluence of several short streams...
, then followed that upstream to modern Tyrone
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Tyrone is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Altoona, on the Little Juniata River. Tyrone was of considerable commercial importance in the twentieth century. It was an outlet for the Clearfield coal fields, and it was noted for the manufacture of paper products. There were...
. Between what is now Tyrone and Bellwood
Bellwood, Pennsylvania
Bellwood is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bellwood is located at ....
, the path briefly crossed the Little Juniata to the west (left) bank , then crossed back again to the east (right) bank. Continuing southwest, the path reached the current site of Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
and left the Little Juniata, heading south to what is now Hollidaysburg
Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
Hollidaysburg is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, on the Juniata River, south of Altoona. It is the county seat of Blair County. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area...
. There it followed the Beaverdam Branch Juniata River to the Frankstown Branch Juniata River at the modern village of Frankstown and the southern end of the path. Several paths met at the Native American village of Frankstown, including a Warriors Path that led south to Maryland, Virginia, and on to the Catawba
Catawba (tribe)
The Catawba are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. They live in the Southeast United States, along the border between North and South Carolina near the city of Rock Hill...
and Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
peoples in North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The Kittanning Path
Kittanning Path
The Kittanning Path was a major east-westNative American trail in western Pennsylvania used during the 18th century. It provided an overland route for the Lenape, Shawnee, and early European settlers across the Allegheny Mountains, terminating at its western end on the Allegheny River at the Native...
was one of a few that led west from Frankstown to the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers.
History
Bald Eagle or Woapalanee was a LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
chief whose village at modern Milesburg, Pennsylvania was known as Bald Eagle's Nest or Wapalanewachschiechey. The identity of Bald Eagle is unclear though. One chief with that name, who was "friendly and respected" was murdered on the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
in 1773. Another Bald Eagle, for whom the historic record is less clear, is traditionally supposed to have been the leader of raiding parties against white settlers on the West Branch Susquehanna River during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He killed a brother of Samuel Brady
Samuel Brady
Captain Samuel Brady was a frontier scout and the subject of many legends in the history of western Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. He is best known for jumping across a gorge over the Cuyahoga River to escape pursuing Indians in what is present day Kent, Ohio...
near Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
in 1778 and Brady killed him on the Allegheny River in what is now Clarion County
Clarion County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 41,765 people, 16,052 households, and 10,738 families residing in the county. The population density was 69 people per square mile . There were 19,426 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
the next year. In any case, Bald Eagle gave his name directly or indirectly to Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain, once known locally as Muncy Mountain, is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, running east of the Allegheny Front and northwest of Mount Nittany. It lies along the southeast side of Bald Eagle Creek, and south of the West Branch Susquehanna River, and...
, two Bald Eagle Creek
Bald Eagle Creek
Bald Eagle Creek is a tributary of the Little Juniata River in Blair County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It runs southwest through the Bald Eagle Valley at the foot of the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge to Tyrone....
s, the Bald Eagle Creek Path, Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Howard, Liberty, and Marion townships in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Joseph Foster Sayers Reservoir, formed by damming Bald Eagle Creek and other smaller streams and covering . Bald Eagle State Park...
, the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad
Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad
The Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad is a short line railroad that operates of track in Blair, Centre, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System....
, and Bald Eagle Township.
In 1949, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...
put up a historical marker on Pennsylvania Route 150
Pennsylvania Route 150
Pennsylvania Route 150 is a 41.10-mile-long highway in Central Pennsylvania. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 220 in Avis, Pennsylvania...
near the borough of Howard
Howard, Pennsylvania
Howard is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 720 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Howard is located at ....
commemorating the path, which it called the "Warriors Path". Wallace's book Indian Paths of Pennsylvania, originally published in 1964 and since updated, noted that many north-south paths were called Warriors Path, and called this Bald Eagle Creek Path.
While the path no longer exists, several highways approximate portions of its course. From Lock Haven to Milesburg to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Route 150 follows the creek and general course of the path fairly closely. From Bellefonte to Tyrone, Pennsylvania Route 550
Pennsylvania Route 550
Pennsylvania Route 550 is a 36 mile long state highway in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 45 Truck and Pennsylvania Route 453 east of Tyrone...
is a close approximation to the route of the path. From Tyrone to Hollidaysburg, US Route 220 and Interstate 99
Interstate 99
Interstate 99 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located in central Pennsylvania in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Bedford, where the road continues south as U.S. Route 220 . The northern terminus is at...
approximately follow the path, and US Route 22 is on the same general route from Hollidaysburg to Frankstown.