Mohawk Trail. 1 Old road (c.100 mi/160 km long) in central New York state following the Mohawk River. It was the sole route through the Appalachians by which thousands of settlers emigrated from the Eastern seaboard to the Midwest. It traverses territory once occupied by the Iroquois Confederacy. In the Colonial period it was a series of turnpikes beginning at Schenectady and extending to Rome, with lesser trails stretching westward. The Erie Canal rendered the road less important, and when the railroads were built its value was further diminished. 2 Motor highway extending c.30 mi (50 km) across N Massachusetts from Greenfield to North Adams. It follows a trail blazed originally by the Mohawks. Traversing the scenic Hoosac Mts. and Berkshire Hills, the route is popular with tourists.
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