19th-century turnpikes in Massachusetts

Map of the 19th century turnpikes in Massachusetts.

In the late 18th century and early 19th century, turnpikes, as opposed to ordinary roads of the same time, were roads where gates barred travelers from continuing and at which payments were demanded for the use of the road. The word "turnpike" itself comes from the fact that these gates, called "pikes," were "turned" once the toll was paid. 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 had 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.

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	US 20–Old Warren Road–Route 67
Second Massachusetts Turnpike	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	US 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 / US 20–local streets north of Lenox
Third New Hampshire Turnpike	New Hampshire line–Townsend	1801–1826	Old Turnpike Road (connects to NH 124)
Twelfth Massachusetts Turnpike	Egremont–Sheffield—Connecticut line	1801–1857	US 7–Egremont Road–Route 23
Salem Turnpike	Boston–Lynn–Salem	1802–1868	Broadway–Route 107
Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike	Dedham		Washington Street–US 1 / Route 1A

Name	Location	Modern Designation
Quincy Turnpike	Quincy
Fourteenth Massachusetts Turnpike	Shelburne
Camden Turnpike	Camden, Maine
First Cumberland Turnpike	Cumberland, Maine
Belchertown and Greenwich Turnpike	Belchertown
Fifteenth Massachusetts Turnpike	Great Barrington
Wiscasset and Augusta Turnpike	Augusta, Maine
Medford Turnpike	Somerville
Braintree and Weymouth Turnpike	Weymouth
Chester Turnpike	Middlefield
Cambridge and Concord Turnpike	Concord
Newburyport Turnpike	Danvers
Becket Turnpike	Becket
Essex Turnpike	Middleton	Route 114
Wiscasset and Woolwich Turnpike	Maine
North Branch Turnpike	Winchendon
New Bedford and Bridgewater Turnpike	Weymouth
Petersham and Monson Turnpike	Athol
Union Turnpike	Leominster
Taunton and New Bedford Turnpike	Not marked
Blue Hill Turnpike	Milton
Hartford and Dedham Turnpike	Millis
Dorchester Turnpike	Dorchester
Bath or Governor King's Turnpike	Maine
Brush Hill Turnpike	Milton
Andover and Medford Turnpike	Reading
Middlesex Turnpike	Cambridge to Tyngsboro	Parallel to US 3; portions survive as present Broadway and Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts Avenue and Lowell Street in Arlington, Lowell Street in Lexington, Middlesex Turnpike in Burlington, Bedford, and Billerica, Old Middlesex Turnpike and a segment of River Street in Billierica, Turnpike Road, North Road, a segment of Princeton Street, and Tyngsboro Road in Chelmsford, and Middlesex Road in Tyngsboro.
Worcester and Fitzwilliam Turnpike	Winchendon
Ashby Turnpike	Ashby	Route 119
Worcester and Stafford Turnpike	Holland
Plum Island Turnpike	Newbury
Worcester Turnpike	Boston to Worcester	Route 9
Housatonic River Turnpike	West Stockbridge
Alford and Egremont Turnpike	Egremont
Lancaster and Bolton Turnpike	Bolton
Wrentham and Walpole Turnpike	Walpole
Stoughton Turnpike	Stoughton
Taunton and South Boston Turnpike	Randolph
Hingham and Quincy Turnpike	Hingham
Hudson Turnpike	West Stockbridge
Douglas, Sutton and Oxford Turnpike	Douglas
Great Barrington and Alford Turnpike	Egremont
Mill Dam	Boston
Barre Turnpike	Barre
Chester Turnpike	Chester
Watertown Turnpike	Watertown
Central Turnpike	Framingham
Turnpike from Cambridge to Watertown	Watertown
Gore Turnpike	Douglas
Pontoosac Turnpike	Chester
Taunton and Providence Turnpike	Taunton
Hampden and Berkshire Turnpike	Otis
Granite Turnpike

References

Frederic J. Wood (1997) [1919]. The Turnpikes of New England [abridged]. Branch Line Press. ISBN 0-942147-05-7.

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