> Of course, here in South Jersey (which is all flat, by the way), we have
 > our own tales of old/new confusion.  When the locals talk about The
 > King's Highway, they mean the old road that used to be called The King's
 > Highway, that starts just outside Salem, and that already existed as a
 > muddy trail by 1700. The problem is: the road that's *named* the King's
 > Highway starts 15 miles north of here, in Woodstown, and doesn't join
 > the road everyone *calls* the Kings Highway for another ten miles,
 > until it reaches Swedesboro.  So we have close to 25 miles of road that
 > everyone except the mapmakers calls the King's Highway; and close to
 > ten miles that is recorded on the maps as The King's Highway, but that
 > nobody calls that.
Allow me to introduce myself....I'm an over the road truck driver, and 
couldn't resist commenting about these statements...I get so much of it as I 
call for directions to various places across the country...In Charlotte,NC 
there are three streets named Queens Rd.  and at one point two of them cross 
each other...it's very confusing.
 > Then, because Quakers were so involved in road building in the 18th and
 > 19th centuries, so many of our roads here are named for point of
 > origin/point of exit.  Thus we have the Swedesboro/Harrisonville Road
 > between Swedesboro and Harrisonville, that becomes the
 > Harrisonville/Williamstown Road as it enters Harrisonville.   Roads like
 > this tend to be shortened to only half their names.  Thus the
 > Swedesboro/Harrisonville road becomes the Swedesboro Road.  And, since
 > there's more than one road entering Swedesboro that has Swedesboro as
 > its name, there is more than one road that gets *called* the Swedesboro
 > Road.  However, most people solve the problem by naming the road for
 > the next major town down.  Thus, the Swedesboro/Harrisonvillle Road is
 > usually called The Swedesboro Road in Harrisonvillle, and is called The
 > Harrisonvillle Road in Swedesboro; but is apt to be called either at all
 > small towns in between.
I have been to Swedesboro and I know what you are saying because that was how 
they said it when I called for directions...it's so hard to find places by 
these names unless you are familiar with the area...
 > And is also apt to be called either on the road signs.  The result:  I
 > usually don't give road names as part of my directions to people.  I
 > give local sights instead:  "Go to the white house with the long green
 > hedge; right after it is a road.  Make a right."
Those are generally the best directions...but some of the ones that I get say 
to go to where someone had a house or store 20 years ago...talk about getting 
really lost..current landmarks are always the best..
 > This drives city people crazy, however; and we're back to the old
 > city/country confusion in directions.  (grin)
Not to mention truck drivers trying to find the place to deliver..
--- Critter's Litter Box!
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