Starting near Havre de Grace, Maryland,
Route 40 follows the path of a number of old turnpikes.
Baltimore and Havre de Grace Turnpike
This turnpike was begun in 1814 and
followed the route of the old Post Road between Baltimore
and Havre de Grace. Toll houses were found approximately
every five miles. When a parallel road was built to
the south (on the present day course of Route 40), business
declined and the turnpike fell into disrepair. The turnpike
company's assets were auctioned off in 1894.
Baltimore
and Frederick Turnpike
In 1792, the state legislature passed
a bill establishing a public highway between Baltimore
and Frederick. When the road failed to materialize,
public interests took charge. The Baltimore and Frederick
Turnpike Company began in 1805 and used an existing
road from Baltimore to Ellicott City. The next ten miles
were completed two years later in 1807. The company
established toll houses every five miles, but later
changed that to every ten miles. Flooding, poor management
and competition from the railroad led to a downturn
in traffic and the turnpike company was unable to keep
the road in good condition. For many years, it was sport
to criticize the management of the turnpike. Letters
and editorials forever cried about the poor state of
operations. Following complaints largely from the citizens
of Catonsville, the turnpike was sold to the State Roads
Commission in December of 1910 for $100,000.
Route 40 originally followed the path
of the turnpike (Frederick Road). The photo on the right
shows a toll house at Devils Elbow east of Ellicott
City, near the #9 milestone.
Bank Road
In order to take advantage of the National
Road's terminus in Cumberland, the citizens of the state
of Maryland scrambled for ways to complete the road
between Baltimore and Cumberland. From the shore of
the Conococheague River west of Hagerstown to Cumberland,
a road was built between 1816 and 1821. Since the road
was funded with bonds from state banks, it became known
as the Bank Road.
