19th century turnpikes in Massachusetts

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Map of the 19th century turnpikes in Massachusetts.
Map of the 19th century turnpikes in Massachusetts.

In the late 18th and early 19th century, turnpikes, as opposed to ordinary roads of the same time, are roads where gates barred travelers from continuing and at which payments were demanded for the use of the road. The privilege of building and operating turnpikes was conferred by the state legislature to "turnpike corporations". Turnpikes were constructed using private capital, were privately owned, and were operated for revenue from toll collection. The turnpike era in Massachusetts began in 1796, when the first act of incorporation for a turnpike was passed. By 1850, most turnpike corporations had either been dissolved or have stopped collecting tolls. In all, 118 acts of incorporation were passed (ten of these were in the territory that later became the state of Maine). Typical toll rates were twenty-five cents for every coach with additional charges of four cents for every man and horse.

[edit] List of turnpikes

The following 19th century turnpikes were chartered and built in Massachusetts:

Turnpike name General routing Dates of operation Modern designation
First Massachusetts Turnpike North Wilbraham–Palmer–Warren 1796-1819 U.S. Route 20–Old Warren Road–Route 67
Second Massachusetts Turnpike[1] North Adams–Drury–Charlemont 1797-1833 Route 2
Third Massachusetts Turnpike Pittsfield line–Worthington–Northampton 1797-1829 Grange Hall Road/Robinson Road–Route 143–East Street/Chesterfield Road
Williamstown Turnpike New York state line–Williamstown–North Adams Route 2
Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike Greenfield–Athol–Leominster–Concord
(with branch from Athol to Northfield)		 1799-1832 Route 2
Sixth Massachusetts Turnpike Amherst–Greenwich–Oakham–Shrewsbury 1799-1829 Local roads west of Rutland and east of Holden; Route 122A (Rutland-Holden).
Pelham-Greenwich is now under the Quabbin Reservoir.
Eighth Massachusetts Turnpike Becket–Chester–Russell 1800-1844 U.S. Route 20
Ninth Massachusetts Turnpike Douglas–Mendon–Bellingham 1800-1833 Southwest Main Street–Hartford Avenue
(old Middle Post Road)
Tenth Massachusetts Turnpike New York line–Lenox–Becket–Sandisfield–Connecticut line 1800-1855 Route 8–U.S. Route 20–local streets north of Lenox
Third New Hampshire Turnpike New Hampshire line–Townsend 1801-1826 Old Turnpike Road (connects to New Hampshire Route 124)
Twelfth Massachusetts Turnpike Egremont–Sheffield—Connecticut line 1801-1857 U.S. Route 7–Egremont Road–Route 23
Salem Turnpike Boston–Lynn–Salem 1802-1868 Broadway–Route 107
  1. Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike Dedham
  2. Quincy Turnpike Quincy
  3. Fourteenth Massachusetts Turnpike Shelburne
  4. Camden Turnpike MAINE
  5. First Cumberland Turnpike MAINE
  6. Belchertown and Greenwich Turnpike Belchertown
  7. Fifteenth Massachusetts Turnpike Great Barrington
  8. Wiscasset and Augusta Turnpike MAINE
  9. Medford Turnpike Somerville
  10. Braintree and Weymouth Turnpike Weymouth
  11. Chester Turnpike Middlefield
  12. Cambridge and Concord Turnpike Concord
  13. Newburyport Turnpike Danvers
  14. Becket Turnpike Becket
  15. Essex Turnpike Middleton
  16. Wiscasset and Woolwich Turnpike MAINE
  17. North Branch Turnpike Winchendon
  18. New Bedford and Bridgewater Turnpike Weymouth
  19. Petersham and Monson Turnpike Athol
  20. Union Turnpike Leominster
  21. Taunton and New Bedford Turnpike NOT MARKED
  22. Blue Hill Turnpike Milton
  23. Hartford and Dedham Turnpike Millis
  24. Dorchester Turnpike Dorchester
  25. Bath or Governor King's Turnpike MAINE
  26. Brush Hill Turnpike Milton
  27. Andover and Medford Turnpike Reading
  28. Middlesex Turnpike Billerica
  29. Worcester and Fitzwilliam Turnpike Winchendon
  30. Ashby Turnpike Ashby
  31. Worcester and Stafford Turnpike Holland
  32. Plum Island Turnpike Newbury
  33. Worcester Turnpike Framingham
  34. Housatonic River Turnpike West Stockbridge
  35. Alford and Egremont Turnpike Egremont
  36. Lancaster and Bolton Turnpike Bolton
  37. Wrentham and Walpole Turnpike Walpole
  38. Stoughton Turnpike Stoughton
  39. Taunton and South Boston Turnpike Randolph
  40. Hingham and Quincy Turnpike Hingham
  41. Hudson Turnpike West Stockbridge
  42. Douglas, Sutton and Oxford Turnpike Douglas
  43. Great Barrington and Alford Turnpike Egremont
  44. Mill Dam Boston
  45. Barre Turnpike Barre
  46. Chester Turnpike Chester
  47. Watertown Turnpike Watertown
  48. Central Turnpike Framingham
  49. Turnpike from Cambridge to Watertown Watertown
  50. Gore Turnpike Douglas
  51. Pontoosac Turnpike Chester
  52. Taunton and Providence Turnpike Taunton
  53. Hampden and Berkshire Turnpike Otis
  54. Granite Turnpike [2]

others

[edit] References