316 Percy Wells Bidwell 



ing began in almost every town. In the years 1803-1807, fifty 

 companies were chartered in Connecticut, sixty in Massachusetts 

 and nine in Rhode Island.^ Before 1810 there had been 180 companies 

 organized in New England, of which 26 were in Vermont and 20 in 

 New Hampshire.^ 



The Effect of Turnpike Roads on Inland Trade. 



The turnpike companies on the whole, however, must be regarded 

 as a failure to solve the transportation problem. In the first place, 

 capital was not readily forthcoming for the new ventures and many 

 of them were unable to begin construction and so forfeited their 

 charters. Others began work but were unable to finish and their 

 charters were renewed from time to time until they, too, finally 

 became defunct. Many companies were organized by unscrupulous 

 promoters, who hoped to make money out of the speculative mania 

 which had arisen.' Nor were the roads which were in fact constructed 

 under this system 'any great improvement over those which had for- 

 merly existed. In new districts where the only roads had been 

 winding cartpaths through the woods, the turnpike companies did 

 bring a real benefit, performing tasks which the sparsely settled com- 

 munities would not have been able adequately to perform. But in 

 the older towns the best that they were able to accomplish seems 

 to have been a straightening of the roads between the larger towns. 

 One of the old turnpike roads can even now be recognized by the 

 direct manner in which it proceeds to its goal, uphill and down. 

 This straightening, which was almost always accomplished at the 

 expense of steeper grades, was not undertaken for the sake of cheap- 

 ening transportation. Those engaged in carting heavy loads would 

 have much preferred the older winding ways. But for the turn- 

 pike companies the straighter road was more profitable, because 

 shorter. The expenditure of capital was but little greater per mile 

 on a hilly than on a level road. The work consisted principally in 

 clearing away stones and trees, building bridges and culverts, and 

 digging ditches at either side of the road. The material thus secured 

 was thrown into the middle of the road to make a crowned surface; 



' The figures for Connecticut are from Gallatin's Report on Roads and Canals, 

 p. 55; for Massachusetts from Private and Special Statutes of Mass., Vols. II. 

 and III.; for Rhode Island from Index to Acts and Resolves (Rhode Island). 1758- 

 1850. 



^Macmaster, History of U. S. III. 463. 



' Kendall, Travels, I. 97, explains the frequency of turnpike companies in 

 Middlesex County, Conn., on this ground. 



