Mark Oppold shares a fascinating piece of history in today’s American Agriculture History Minute—a look back at the first organized road improvement in the United States.
In 1794, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road became the first turnpike ever constructed in America. While far from the smooth asphalt highways we know today, this road—made of broken stone and gravel—marked a major turning point in transportation infrastructure.
A Road That Opened the West
The turnpike was privately built, and although primitive by modern standards, it was a critical development in America’s westward expansion. By improving access along the Ohio River territory, the road played a pivotal role in connecting rural communities and opening up new markets for agricultural goods.
Tolls and Trade
Travelers were charged a modest toll, estimated at two to five cents, to use the improved road. This toll helped maintain the road and demonstrated early examples of user-funded infrastructure that supported agricultural and commercial development.
From Mark Oppold:
“It wasn’t a smooth four-lane concrete or asphalt turnpike we know now, rather a broken stone and gravel surface.”
Today, we look back on the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike not just as a roadway, but as a symbol of innovation that supported agriculture, commerce, and community growth in a young nation.
That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute with Mark Oppold.