| 12$ MARYLAND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE
From the private turnpike system, Durrenberger believes,
came the first good roads in the United States. In regard to
construction, Maryland and Pennsylvania's roads were the best
among those of the Middle Atlantic States. They were built
of crushed stone at great expense, while the turnpike roads of
New York and New Jersey were made of natural earth.""
Governor Stone reported to the General Assembly in 1796
that the main state roads were scarcely passable, that the meth-
ods theretofore employed to improve them were totally inade-
quate, and that good roads would require vast sums of money.
I shall therefore take the liberty of submitting to your considera-
tion, a plan for investing them [the roads] in different corpora-
tions, on a toll for a number of years.IBz
That session the legislature incorporated Maryland's first turn-
pike company, " The President, Directors and Company, of
the Washington Turnpike Road." Unfortunately this company
and those incorporated in the following years, The Elizabeth
Turnpike Company, The Reisterstown Turnpike Company,
The Allegany Turnpike Company, and the Cumberland and
Union- Road, accomplished nothing.'"
Maryland's first successful turnpikes were incorporated in
1804. Three companies, The Baltimore and Frederick Turn-
pike Road, The Baltimore and Reisterstown Turnpike, and
The Baltimore and York Turnpike, capitalized at $220,000,
$160,000, and $100,000, respectively, were established. The
new companies chartered to build the Frederick and Reis-
terstown roads had less capital than the companies formed in
1797.28¢ Perhaps the legislature throught the companies would
have a better chance of becoming active if less capital were
required to be subscribed before the company could organize.
Provision was made for increasing the capital later. These
roads were to be made over the beds of the Baltimore County
turnpikes of 1787, provided the company reimbursed the coun-
'allbid., pp. 160, 165. See Sioussat, p. 168 for the construction methods
im-
posed on the Maryland companies incorporated in 1804.
182 A. Md. Gaz, Nov. 24, 1796, p. 2.
n" Sioussat, p. 166.
194 Md. Sess, 1804 c. 51, 1797 c. 65, 70. -
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