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This page will explain the Pathmasters and road history throughout Greene, to include the primitive invention of the "Plank road."

PLANK ROADS

"Pathmasters made the young men get out and work out their poll tax when they became 21 years of age, says R. J. Gross.

"Mr. Gross and Henry Hoag both agreed that there used to be a pathmaster for each school district in the town, and that each single man, 21 years of age, was required to work one day to pay a dollar poll tax, and married men worked to pay taxes based on the assessed valuation of their property.

"Mr. Gross has a picture, taken 37 years ago, of a road machine drawn by four teams. One team was owned and driven by Frank Barton, one by George White, and the other two were owned by Oscar Beckwith. T. W. Harrington was the pathmaster in that district. The picture was taken near the Johnson Creamery, between Greene and Coventry, where Mr. Gross was employed as cheese-maker at that time. Mr. Gross worked out his first poll tax in the Lower Genegantslet district during the days when the old hand-held, horse-drawn scrapers were used. Charles O. Davis, great grandfather of Charles J. Mosher of Greene, was pathmaster there at that time."

From the "Chenango American," 07/30/1936