pa 39 was assigned on may 1, 1937, by the pennsylvania department of highways to the portion of lr 22006 between the susquehanna river (at north front street) and manadahill and to the section of lr 140a east of linglestown, overlapping pa 894 along the latter. pa 894 was also extended northward along piketown road to a junction with pa 443 near piketown. the overlap between pa 39 and pa 894 was eliminated in the 1940s when the entirety of the pa 894 designation was removed.