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In 1794 a new era began with the opening of a hard surface road extending from Philadelphia 63 miles west to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was the Lancaster Turnpike and it was financed by the sale of stock. Its success prompted a frenzy of turnpike construction in the Northeast. Soon New England, New York, Maryland and New Jersey were crisscrossed with thousands of miles of turnpike. Tolls were collected along the way at tollhouses where a pike blocked the road until a toll was paid. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) One thing these turnpikes had in common was the placement of milestones at one mile intervals showing the distance to nearby towns. They were (and are) similar to tombstones with their message cryptically etched into their surface.
In 1815, the federal government got into the act by constructing the famous Cumberland Road or National Road extending west from Baltimore to Cumberland, Maryland. Its mile markers were a unique design of cast iron. In the early 1800s, the new transportation system stimulated our economy by bringing farmers to market and oiling the wheels of commerce. Men on horseback, wagons and stagecoaches crowded onto turnpikes competing with flocks of livestock delivering themselves to market. But by 1850, first canals and then railroads began to replace the turnpikes as favored modes of transport and many fell into disrepair. A revival came around 1900 when bicycle enthusiasts and then automobile hobbyists demanded better roads. This revival became the nucleus of today’s highway system. What is remarkable is that a number of the old milestones have survived the ravages of time for over 200 years and can be found along our highways today. |
As he found that one by one, these now historic artifacts are disappearing, David LeRoy, amateur historian and writer was prompted to photograph them and record their locations. This has culminated in Roadside Survivors, a book with over 100 color images of remaining milestones and data regarding the location of over 430 milestones which his search has revealed.
Historic Milestones
Navigation along turnpikes was by milestones. Survivors of these milestones may be found along today's roads.
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Turnpikes & Post Roads
200 years ago, travel between cities and towns was by toll roads called turnpikes and by post roads.
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"Roadside Survivors"A landmark book features surviving milestones with color pictures and tabulations of milestone locations.
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