Old Albany Post Road (221 West 251st Street is the apartment at left), 1935. The buildings at left front Post Road, but their back (seen here) line an old dirt road that was once a vital intrastate thoroughfare. This dirt road (which still looks much the same today) is a remnant of the Old Albany Post Road, one of the oldest routes in New York State. Following a well-worn Native American trail, the early Dutch settlers of the city used this path to traverse the island of Manhattan from their settlement at the south to the island's northern tip. In the mid 17th century the city's government designated a postal route between the city and Albany, given the need for communication between the the area's two most populated communities. Though not much more than a narrow, wooded path (often following Native trails) at the beginning, by the start of the 18th century, the road was widened to a "breadth of 4 rods" (whatever that means). During the next century the road was more properly surveyed, laid out, and marked with milestones. The road provided for important early mail service and, in times of war, the movement of troops and supplies between the city and the eventual state capital (so named in 1797). By the middle of the 19th century, with the introduction of train service, the stage coach path was less necessary. The Old Albany Post Road was straightened and became the thoroughfare known today as Route 9 (and all its various local designations).