Milestone Book

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The Art of Splitting Stone

Guide to New England Stone Structures

Milestones & Guideposts

Milestones & Guideposts
of Massachusetts and Southeastern New Hampshire

By Mary Gage and James Gage

Across Massachusetts, roadsides are dotted with small stone markers giving the mileage to major cities. These ancient road signs called milestones aided travelers during the 1700’s and 1800’s as our road signs today do with their mileage and destination information. Although, these old milestones no longer serve a useful purpose in our modern age of highways, they continue to fascinate us. This fascination has led to the preservation by local communities of at least 129 milestones in Massachusetts and a number of milestones in New Hampshire.

Milestones were for the most part commissioned by private citizens and made by local or itinerant stone carvers. With the exception of the turnpike milestones, no two milestones are alike. There are differences in the type of stone chosen, the wording, and the lettering styles of individual carvers. These differences give the milestones personality and character. This sense of character is one of the endearing aspects of these humble road signs that continues to draw us to them.

Although some of the milestones like those around Boston and those along the famous Upper Post Road are well known, many are not. The authors have spent a number of years combing through old books and newspapers and traveling through the state in search of these local historical treasures. This book draws together all of their research in an effort to provide a comprehensive inventory of Massachusetts milestones. In addition, it includes milestones the authors have found in their travels through southeastern New Hampshire.

Trade paperback 170 pp. 200 illustrations 8.5 x 11 inches
ISBN 978-09816141-7-5

Available from:

Amazon.com
www.PowwowRiverBooks.com (Publisher)


	Milestone Book Additions and Updates (PDF) - February 13, 2024


	TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1. The Origin of Milestones 2. The Origins of New England’s Milestones 1707 Boston, Massachusetts – First and Second Milestones 1708 Newbury, Massachusetts – Third Milestone 3. Milestones of the Great Eastern Road & the North Shore of Massachusetts Brief History of the Great Eastern Road 1708 – 1710 Era 1735 Era Other Great Eastern Road Milestones Another Road to Portsmouth Miscellaneous North Shore Milestone 4. The Boston Stone 5. Boston and the South Shore Milestones Paul Dudley Milestones 1729 – 1735, 1744 The Road to Cambridge (Lined with Dudley Milestones) The Road to Dedham / Providence, RI (Lined with Dudley Milestones) Parting Stone – 1744 Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts Upper Road (Upper Way) to Milton Bridge & Dorchester Lower Mills Lower Road (Lower Way) to Milton Bridge & Dorchester Lower Mills Milton Bridge / Dorchester Lower Mills Road to Quincy Meeting House through Milton & Quincy, and South to Braintree 1722 - 1730 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary Milestones Road from Plymouth to Cape Cod Miscellaneous Milestones Road to Taunton 1776 6. Post Roads The Benjamin Franklin Milestone Story Lower Post Road Middle Road – Dedham to Hartford Upper Post Road – Watertown to Shrewsbury Upper Post Road – Worcester to Palmer Upper Post Road – Wilbraham, Springfield & Longmeadow Milestones on the West Side of the Connecticut River Three Roads Split off of the Upper Post Road Wayland-Framingham-Southborough Road Road to Norwich and New-London by Way of Worcester Road to North Hampton Miscellaneous Milestone 7. The Bay Path, Connecticut Path and the Bay Roads of Massachusetts The Bay Path Bay Roads Old Connecticut Path 8. Northwest of Boston 9. Turnpike Era 10. New Hampshire Milestones 11. Guideposts Massachusetts Guideposts New Hampshire Guideposts Appendix I – Master List of Surviving Milestones Appendix II – Biographical Information on the Men Who Commissioned the Easton MA Milestones Bibliography Photograph Credits