The Turnpikes of New England: A New Edition of the 1919 Classic (New England Transportation Series) - Softcover

Frederic J. Wood; Ronald Dale Karr

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0942147057 ISBN 13: 9780942147056

Publisher: Branch Line Press, 1997

Synopsis

Originally published in 1919, The Turnpikes of New England is still the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of these historic roads, some of which continue to serve our communities today. Abridged to appeal to modern readers, this new edition retains Wood's well-researched, lively historical accounts of more than 250 roads in the six New England states originally built as toll roads for stagecoaches, carriages, and wagons in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over 200 of the original volume's photographs have been reprinted here, capturing the history and flavor of an era past.

About this title

About the Author:

Author Frederic J. Wood was an 1888 graduate of MIT who worked as a civil engineer in railroading and fire prevention and lived for many years in Brookline, MA. He spent ten years in the early part of this century doing comprehensive research and field work for this book. Ronald Dale Karr, a reference librarian at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, holds a Ph.D. in history, teaches a course in New England history, and has written two rail history books and numerous historical articles.

Review:

"The 23-page introduction lays out the whole ill-fated and largely forgotten turnpike movement, and being of most general interest, it is the heart of the book. The rest is a reference work, useful to those who want to know about a particular road or area... On the whole, though, 'The Turnpikes of New England' deserves its new lease on life and is worth the time of anyone interested in local or transportation history." --The Day, New London, CT, October 28, 1997

"The present work is exceptional among productions of its class...There is a fine balance in the treatment of the engineering, the economic and the archaeological aspects of the turnpikes and toll-bridges, and for this reason the work may be safely commended to the general reader...It is written in a fascinating style, full of good humor, replete with stories and historical incidents, and its enthusiastic verve carries the reader from start to finish." --Boston Evening Transcript, January 28, 1920

About this edition

• Publisher: Branch Line Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0942147057
• ISBN 13: 9780942147056
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 428