The new east to west turnpike soon to be worming its way through Blandford, leveling hills and spewing dirt into low spots to retain its 3.5 grade, has many points of similarity to the Hampden and Berkshire Turnpike built in 1829.
The old turnpike, which was in part identical to the old post road*, entered the town from the east, wound between Tarrot Hill and Birch Hill Roads, and followed the present Route 23, fairly closely, leaving the village through North Blandford. The new turnpike, entering Blandford at approximately the same point, will cut between Tarrot and Birch Hills, run roughly parallel to Route 23 until it comes to Dunlap Pond, where it will V off to leave Blandford about a mile and a half north of the old turnpike exit.
As today's wide smooth highways are built to expedite traffic, including evacuation of cities in event of emergencies, so the early turnpike was made to take care of great westward migrations. Since railroads had not yet put in an appearance, the ordinary highways of Blandford received an enormous amount of traffic, and the new turnpike marked an era - as today's threatens to do- in the social life of the village. Soon two of the four daily stages which had run for years on the Boston-Albany road through town streets were transferred to the new turnpike. The old post road itself was largely sidetracked for the new highway. Wagons of lime drawn by four horses each passed along from the Berkshire kilns. Great droves of cattle, sheep and hogs were driven to the Brighton market. Every kind of peddler and his wagon went along the road.
"The road was all chomped up," according to one old resident as reported in "Taverns and Turnpikes of Blandford" by Sumner Gilbert Wood. "You couldn't look out of the window, hardly, but you could see a team."
But it was toll rather than traffic that raised the ire of the villagers. There was a gatehouse** about a mile below the village, which stood then, as now, at the junction of the old mountain road and the present Route 23.
But let it not be supposed that the payment of toll was taken "sitting down." Turmoil and confusion reigned. Petitions were signed, sealed and sent. "By what right," demanded the irate villagers, "was a citizen freeman of New England to be stopped in the midst of a highway and demanded to pay toll for his passage?"
The answer that the road would be kept in repair by an incorporated company, thus freeing the citizens of taxes for maintenance, failed to pacify them. "We'll make a shun-pike," they decided. "We'll tap the pike on one side of the gate, pass around and connect on the other. Then where will their tolls be?"
They did just that. The shun-pike was well used until the General Court levied fines on all shun-pikers far more tyrannous than toll gate demands. Yet there’s the story of one woman, more determined than the men, who, when toll was demanded of her, drove the keeper into the house with her horsewhip.
In view of the complicated scale along which tolls were leveled, it would seem that the gatekeeper, rather than the tollpayer, might need sympathy. Tolls ranged from 24¢ for each coach, chariot, phaeton, or other four wheeled spring carriage drawn by two horses, to "all sheep and swine at the rate of 3¢ by the dozen." Wagons drawn by horses which came into general use only after the 19th century were considered a luxury and licensed by the state. Country carts or wagons were generally drawn by oxen, from two to six in number and paid according to weight of load and distance to be covered.
The old turnpike, which was in part identical to the old post road*, entered the town from the east, wound between Tarrot Hill and Birch Hill Roads, and followed the present Route 23, fairly closely, leaving the village through North Blandford. The new turnpike, entering Blandford at approximately the same point, will cut between Tarrot and Birch Hills, run roughly parallel to Route 23 until it comes to Dunlap Pond, where it will V off to leave Blandford about a mile and a half north of the old turnpike exit.
As today's wide smooth highways are built to expedite traffic, including evacuation of cities in event of emergencies, so the early turnpike was made to take care of great westward migrations. Since railroads had not yet put in an appearance, the ordinary highways of Blandford received an enormous amount of traffic, and the new turnpike marked an era - as today's threatens to do- in the social life of the village. Soon two of the four daily stages which had run for years on the Boston-Albany road through town streets were transferred to the new turnpike. The old post road itself was largely sidetracked for the new highway. Wagons of lime drawn by four horses each passed along from the Berkshire kilns. Great droves of cattle, sheep and hogs were driven to the Brighton market. Every kind of peddler and his wagon went along the road.
"The road was all chomped up," according to one old resident as reported in "Taverns and Turnpikes of Blandford" by Sumner Gilbert Wood. "You couldn't look out of the window, hardly, but you could see a team."
But it was toll rather than traffic that raised the ire of the villagers. There was a gatehouse** about a mile below the village, which stood then, as now, at the junction of the old mountain road and the present Route 23.
But let it not be supposed that the payment of toll was taken "sitting down." Turmoil and confusion reigned. Petitions were signed, sealed and sent. "By what right," demanded the irate villagers, "was a citizen freeman of New England to be stopped in the midst of a highway and demanded to pay toll for his passage?"
The answer that the road would be kept in repair by an incorporated company, thus freeing the citizens of taxes for maintenance, failed to pacify them. "We'll make a shun-pike," they decided. "We'll tap the pike on one side of the gate, pass around and connect on the other. Then where will their tolls be?"
They did just that. The shun-pike was well used until the General Court levied fines on all shun-pikers far more tyrannous than toll gate demands. Yet there’s the story of one woman, more determined than the men, who, when toll was demanded of her, drove the keeper into the house with her horsewhip.
In view of the complicated scale along which tolls were leveled, it would seem that the gatekeeper, rather than the tollpayer, might need sympathy. Tolls ranged from 24¢ for each coach, chariot, phaeton, or other four wheeled spring carriage drawn by two horses, to "all sheep and swine at the rate of 3¢ by the dozen." Wagons drawn by horses which came into general use only after the 19th century were considered a luxury and licensed by the state. Country carts or wagons were generally drawn by oxen, from two to six in number and paid according to weight of load and distance to be covered.
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This was the schedule of the tolls:
"Tolls for every cart or wagon drawn by two horses was 10¢, and 2¢ for each additional horse. For every cart or wagon drawn by two oxen, 10¢. If drawn by more than two oxen, 121⁄2¢ For every cart or wagon drawn by more than four horses or oxen, 2¢ for each additional ox or horse; for every curricle, 15¢; for every chaise, chair or sulky or other two-wheeled carriage for pleasure, drawn by one horse, 6 1/4¢; for each wagon or carriage with four wheels, drawn by one horse only, according to the following rated of toll: for every such carriage, the body or seats of which shall be placed on springs, and covered with cloth, canvas or leather, and used for the conveyance of person and personal baggage only, 12 1/2¢; for every such carriage without springs, 6¢; and for all other carriages of four wheels drawn by one horse, for the conveyance of persons and personal baggage, that rate or toll which is, or shall be, the nearest to the mean sum, in cents, between the two rates of toll above specified, as the same are or shall be established at each of such gates respectively; for every man and horse, 4¢; for every sleigh or sled drawn by two oxen or horses, 1¢ for each additional ox or horse; for every sleigh or sled drawn by one horse,4¢; for all horses, mules or meat cattle led or driven, besides those in teams, 1¢ each." To discourage small tires which tended to cut the road and keep it rough and soft, regular tolls were halved for every vehicle having tires six or more inches wide. *The old post road was also called the Albany Road and was the original road over which the Blandford settlers came. It passed over Birch Hill and entered the present Route 23 about a mile and a half below the village. **The old gatehouse was condemned for habitation by the selectmen and burned on February 12, 1977 as a training practice for the Fire Department. ***The old mountain road the same as the above, although slightly changed. |
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