Early travel in Connecticut
Before 1895
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THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE TURNPIKE ERA
The American Revolution accelerated the demand for road and bridge
building in the late eighteenth century. By the end of the war,
however, many roads were impassable. Because Connecticut towns had
contributed a great deal of money, material, and manpower to the war
effort, they were unable to finance the repair of roads. And yet,
improved roads were vital for the livelihood of the growing population
of almost 200,000.
After Connecticut attained statehood in 1788, the newly formed state
lacked sufficient public capital to undertake a wholesale upgrading of
the highway system. Subsequently, the Connecticut General Assembly
granted franchises for the creation of private toll roads, a common
practice in Great Britain.
These roads were known as turnpikes because of the shape of the
entrance gates on the roads. There were two forms of turnpike
franchises in Connecticut. The first was that in which an existing old
road, badly in need of repairs and beyond the resources of the town,
was presented to a turnpike corporation organized for the purpose of
putting it back in good shape and maintaining it properly.
The second was for the creation of an entirely new road, cutting
across fields and forests to shorten travel distances. To create this
turnpike, the General Assembly would first pass an act describing the
route and laying out the proposed road. After declaring it a public
road, the Assembly would then strip the road of its public character
and a corporation would be authorized for the purpose of building the
road and operating it as a turnpike. Under this method, the towns were
required to purchase the land and to build any necessary bridges,
while the corporation merely had to build and maintain the road
itself. As a result, the majority of the financial burden was placed
on the towns. Despite town protests, turnpikes continued to be formed
in this manner through the turnpike era. This form of franchise was
not eliminated until the mid-1850s.
https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/General/History/Chapter-1-DOT-History
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