TollGate Research

[cachenut]

Well in preparation for next year I am starting to research tollroads in my local area.

I will look at old maps adding each tollgate I find to a list which includes the location, date, tollroad name, and map name. Then after checking all the maps I can find and a few other sources I will start to visit them.

If I find only one untouched tollgate I will be satisfied.

I figure that if people lost on average one coin each week there by now the place should be full of them. A tollgate might have stayed there for 30 years from say 1836 to 1860 so just imagine now many coins were lost. One a week for 30 years is 30 x 50 or 1500. Thats enough for me to give it a try.

I find about $2 in change a day just walking around local fast food places. One coin a week is nothing by comparison.

Comments?

 

[ED-NH]

Hmmm good thought. How long have toll road been around? Are you looking find old ones that are wooded areas now?

 

[cloctor]

I have located several toll roads, and ferry crossings in my area. Havent started searching them yet as deer hunting season is still in. Dont want to get shot by some hunter thinking my white Exp 2 is a white tail deer.

 

[cachenut]

Around since before 1750 mostly on the east coast and close to the coast early on. Roads did not penetrate the wilderness for a long time.

So far none were in the woods but on an existing road so care is needed to be sure you are in the right spot.

They collected tolls of around 3 cents to a dime. About 1800 private companies appeared to run them and a company officer rode around about once a week to collect tolls so a cache is possible. Toll keeprs also kept some tolls for themselves. There were changes in location also for the toll houses.

Figure someone lost one coin a week at a toll house and the toll was collected there for 20 years and that is 1000 coins say from 1820 to 1950. You see why I am searching.

 

[AK in KY]

I have done the same thing as you are doing. The major problem is to determine where the road was in 1860. I have found that none of the roads are in the same place where the old maps show them. Good Luck

AK in KY

 

[Jim Pa]

Don't forget that there were also toll bridges across small rivers and streams.There were also toll charges for walking across these bridges.Some ferry boat crossings had hotels right above the river bank at the crossing.Another way to check is to do an aerial look at a site.You can do this free on the Internet.What I have discovered is areas such as ballfields school yards and other grass covered areas show up lighter and give you a real good outline of the area.

Hope it helps
Jim Pa

 

[AK in KY]

I failed to mention that I did detect one toll house. I'm sure it has never been detected. I have been over the site many times, like you I figure there has to be something there. The original foundation is still there. So far no luck. Hope your luck is better. HH

AK in KY

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes due to years of construction, toll gates will be covered by modern roads, so don't overlook hunting right next to the highway (if it's safe). I've seen more than one good Seated Liberty coin dug right next to the pavement. One Seated Half had asphalt on it. Good hunting, David @ Dixie

 

[cachenut]

Turnpikes have been in US since 1730 or so. Most early ones were on east coast in colonial states right up close to ocean. Early on fees were olw like 1 to 5 cents depeneing on what passed horse, waon or person. Tollgates were located where people could not go around. intersections, swamps, rivers, deep craigs. Idea was to make them pay toll.

They didn't get started big time till around 1800 and some were in operation up into early 1900s. A lot of money changed hands and some tollkeepers kepts a litle for themsleves too. So a chance for a hidden cache exists.

Originally a log was fitted with wood spikes oe spears and a wheel placed at the end. It could be rolled out to block the road so that someone trying to force their way past would impale themselves on the woods spikes. Thus the word Turnpikes.

Tollgates were moved around as conditions required, a house burns, tollkeeper changed, roads were moved, intersections created, etc .. Many locations were used and not the same one over and over. Maybe 20 or 30 different places so look carefully.

That is all.