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The Rod Roads Of Marilla



When you look at old maps, surveys or deeds, often you will encounter certain terms or units that relate to distance measurements. These terms have been commonly used by surveyors to measure the lengths of property lines because they are needed to satisfy legal requirements for the sale and transfer of property. The terms often used include chains, rods and links. The units as commonly defined are as follows:

-1 link = 7.92 inches

-1 rod = 25 links = 16.5 feet

-1 chain = 4 rods = 66 feet

From these terms, you can also define the following:

-1 mile = 80 chains = 5,280 feet

-1 acre = 10 square chains = 43,560 square feet

In early 19th-century New York State, certain laws were passed to facilitate the building of roads within townships. These were meant to clarify the width of a road for construction purposes:

  1. Laws of 1813 specified a road width of at least 4 rods.
  2. Laws of 1826 specified a road width of at least 3 rods.

Following these laws, a road width of four rods includes the road surface itself plus additional space on the sides of the road allowing for the drainage of water and for further road widening if it becomes necessary at a later date.

When the first purchase of part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation was completed in 1826, the Ogden Company (successor of The Holland Land Company) put parcels of land up for sale in the newly-opened area. A portion of this area would later become the Town of Marilla. This newly-opened area had a western border with the remaining part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation still occupied by the Native Americans. This western border would later become Two Rod Road.

The map shows the boundaries of the Buffalo Creek Reservation as a result of the treaties and purchases of 1826 and 1842. The original map is from Burr’s N.Y. Atlas, 1841. Image from the Marilla Historian’s Office

The developers intended to lay out two roads, both running north and south through the purchased area. The first road would abutt the western boundary line with the unsold reservation land. This road went north from the hamlet of Porterville through what later became Marilla Village and continued into the Alden Township.

The developers decided to construct this first road two rods wide instead of the usual width of four rods. The people involved in this endeavor hoped that the Native Americans would give an additional two rods of land to expand the road, or that the additional land could be purchased from them. It was not until some years later that the two rods of land became available and the road was, therefore, widened to four rods. Even after this had occurred, the name of Two Rod Road was so ingrained in the mindset of the settlers that the name was retained, essentially for all time!

As previously mentioned, the second road in the area was laid out about 1 mile to the east and parallel to Two Rod Road, but since there were no boundary issues, this road was made four rods in width and, therefore, it was called Four Rod Road. After these first two roads were laid out, a third road was constructed about one mile east and parallel to Four Rod Road. This road was laid out to be three rods in width according to the statute of 1826 and thus, this road was referred to as Three Rod Road.

Note that Two Rod Road was the original western border of the town of Marilla as a result of the 1826 Treaty. By 1842, the western boundary of the Town of Marilla shifted one mile to the west to coincide with Townline Road.

In 1838, a treaty was proposed to sell the remaining part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation. However, even though the U.S. Senate agreed to it, there was enough opposition from some of the Chiefs and Sachems (Leaders) that the treaty was not approved until a compromise with the Native Americans was accomplished in 1842. As a result, the Native Americans agreed to sign and confirm the compromise treaty, which ceded the remaining part of the reservation to The Ogden Land Company.

The map with this article shows the boundaries of The Buffalo Creek Reservation as a result of the treaties and purchases of 1826 and 1842. The original map is from Burr’s N.Y. Atlas, 1841. 

The total area outlined in yellow and red encloses the Buffalo Creek Reservation as it looked at the time of its creation in 1797.

The area outlined in yellow comprises the first purchase of 1826. The area outlined in red shows the boundaries of the 1842 compromise treaty with the Native Americans.

When looking at the map, notice a 45-degree angle of the Northwest corner of the boundary: this occurred because Joseph Ellicott, the surveyor for the Holland Land Company, wanted the mouth of the Buffalo River to no longer be under the control of Native Americans. This was done to benefit the future commerce of the shipping industry.

The choice to retain the original names of these three rod roads has caused considerable confusion and continues to this day.

***

This column was written by Hubert L. Kutter, the Marilla Town Historian. For more about the town’s history, visit the Marilla Historical Society and Museum’s Facebook page. 

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