The Boston Turpike aka Middle Turnpike

Revised - because I am not afraid to admit my mistakes.

My latest exploration took me to the Natchaug Trail in Eastford, CT. I like this area because there is so much hidden history there. Today, I came across a small piece of local transportation history: the Old Boston Turnpike on the map, which was initially named the Center Turnpike. 

View of Turnpike looking west

Building commenced around 1830  1797 and the tolls were discontinued in 1856  1879. The plan was to add yet another  a toll road from Boston to Hartford. The Connecticut section began in Douglas MA going through Thompson,  Pomfort, Eastford, Ashford, Westford, Tolland, Bolton Notch, Manchester, and into Hartford. There really wasn’t much need for another route but it was built anyway. This was the original route into Hartford.

View of Turnpike looking east

Many of these old turnpikes are still in use, but not many are in their original shape. Most have been reconstructed to handle modern traffic. The Boston Turnpike still has a lot of original construction. Even the sections that have been rebuilt are still easily found, and you can see the “Turnpike” in them. 

North side wall

Construction of the turnpikes followed a similar pattern, except in Massachusetts where the law was they needed to be in as straight a line as possible no matter what was in the way. This would cause problems when a section was to go up a steep hill. If you are familiar with Stafford Street in Worcester, it is called “Deadhorse Hill” because the hill was so steep that many horses died on the way up. The roads were lined with stone walls which had two purposes. They would keep livestock from leaving the road and entering people's yards. The other purpose was to prevent people from using the road without paying the tolls. Whenever I see a break in the wall I wonder if this was one of the spots. The roads were also consistent in their widths. 

A view to the east side bridge abutment

This section of the Boston Turnpike has parallel walls and remnants of drainage ditches used to carry water from the road. You can also see the convex shape of the road, the middle being higher than the sides. This was also for drainage. 

The west side bridge abutment

This section crossed Bigelow Brook on a wooden bridge. There are still remains of the abutments here. I was unable to cross the stream but it appears the road is passable on the other side. I will return to this area and approach it differently.

Close-up of the east abutment

If you would like to see this old road it is off Route 44 in Eastford CT. A small blue sign that reads “Natchaug Trail” is on the north side of the road. Follow this trail about a half mile and you will come to the old turnpike. You can’t miss it as it is very obvious. 

The roadbed leading to the bridge

As a note of explanation regarding the mistake, I have a bad habit of not always researching as well as I should before writing. Next, I will write about the section on the other side of Bigelow Brook.