The first spur of US Highway 11 was included in the American Association of State Highway Officials' (today's AASHTO) plan of 1926 that created the Federal highway system. Consequently, it was commissioned as US Highway 111. During the route's nearly forty years of existence, its southern terminus remained in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The northern terminus, however, bounced around a few Pennsylvania cities and was in New York for a year.

At the time of its commissioning, US 111 began at the New York/Pennsylvania state line near Lawrenceville. From there, the highway proceeded south, roughly following the route of today's US Highway 15. That is, until 1927, when the route was truncated back to Harrisburg. There it remained until the next year, when US 111's northern beginning was moved back to Lawrenceville. The next change came the following year, in 1928, when the northern end was moved yet again, back to Lawrenceville for four years. In 1932, the terminus was moved to Corning, New York, and from there US 111 followed the route of present-day US Highway 220.

Barely a year later, though, US 111's northern terminus was moved back to Lawrenceville, lest motorists get too complacent. Things remained stable until 1937, when the route was again truncated back to Harrisburg. As if the road itself was exhausted from all the changes, the terminus remained in Harrisburg until US 111 was decommissioned. This routing followed the track of present-day US 15.

Thus, there were two branches of US 111 at various times; nonetheless, both ultimately met in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Home of the Little League World Series, Williamsport and its environs saw action during the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. US 111 exited the city still following the route of modern US 220. On down the road, at Northumberland, US 111 joined up with its 'parent', US 11, for the run into Harrisburg.

In Harrisburg, while US 11 (and later, US 15) split off to the west, US 111 continued south, now carried on the Old York Road. Roughly paralleling today's Interstate 83, the route meandered to Newberry and, as the Old Susquehanna Trail, through Manchester. From there, US 111 wound on to York, crossing US Highway 30 (the famed Lincoln Highway) as it enters the city. Former home of the York Peppermint Patty, York is today known as the “White Rose City” (in contrast to Lancaster, the “Red Rose City”). It is also the site of one of motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson's major factories.

Still as the Susquehanna River Trail, US 111 continued south toward Loganville and Shrewsbury. It entered the state of Maryland and became York Road, today's Maryland state highway 45. Another thirty-five miles or so, still winding around Interstate 83, brought the route to Baltimore, Maryland's capital. There, US 111 came to its southern terminus at a junction with US Highway 1. Unlike the ever-shifting northern terminus, US 111's southern end remained constant until the route was decommissioned in 1963.


SOURCES

Droz, Robert V., "Sequential List of US Highways", US Highways From US 1 to US 830. July 2003. <http://www.us-highways.com/us1830.htm> (May 2007)
Sanderson, Dale. "Highway Ends", End of Historic US Highway 111. 2001-2006. < http://www.geocities.com/usend1019/End111/end111.htm>. (May 2007).
City data courtesy of the cities' websites and Wikipedia.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.