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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Downtown in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
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The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike

A Transportation Revolution started here

— The Historic National Road - The Road That Built The Nation —

 
 
The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Christopher Busta-Peck, February 24, 2008
1. The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike Marker
Inscription.
Maryland toll roads helped revolutionize American travel. The Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike began with a tollgate, placed near this corner in 1807. For a few cents, you could head west on a “smooth” road that was the ancestor of today’s turnpikes. Private investors spent ten thousand dollars a mile to build crushed stone all-weather thoroughfares all the way to Cumberland. This road system became Baltimore’s link to the federal National Road and the American interior.

Early American roads were often described as “savage desolation.” They were old Indian paths filled with mud, tree stumps and bone-jarring gullies. It could take five days to travel a hundred miles. Four-horse teams, pulling heavy stagecoaches called “shakeguts” and “turtlebacks,” had to rest every few miles. The Baltimore and Frederick -Town Turnpike connected Baltimore’s deep-water port to the farm lands of the Ohio Valley, a combination that made Baltimore in 1830 the second largest city in America.

[Captions:]
Thanks to its port and its access to the National Road, Baltimore became the fastest growing city in America in the early 19th century.

Stagecoach passengers were tossed around inside coaches, soaked with rain, coated with mud and dust and exposed to cold winter weather on long tedious journeys. One
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beleaguered traveler complained that “one runs the risk of being thrown in a mud hole.” The National Road set the stage for more comfortable travel.

 
Erected by America's Byways.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceRoads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the The Historic National Road series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1807.
 
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 17.361′ N, 76° 37.269′ W. Marker was in Baltimore, Maryland. It was in Downtown. Marker was on West Baltimore Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Baltimore MD 21201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. A different marker also named The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike (a few steps from this marker); The Classic Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Baltimore Equitable Society (about 300 feet away); Faust Brothers Building (about 400 feet away); Original Burial Place of Edgar Allan Poe (about 600 feet away); Among Family: Poe’s Original Burial Place (about
The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Christopher Busta-Peck, February 24, 2008
2. The Baltimore & Frederick-Town Turnpike Marker
600 feet away); A Beloved General (about 600 feet away); Monumental Lives (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
 
More about this marker. This marker is affixed to the side of the Hippodrome Theater. This is in contrast to the most the other markers in the series, which are generally freestanding.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker, which has subtle differences in subtitles and credited erecting organizations.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,979 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on February 24, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024