Second Week - Saturday's "Medfield Historical Minute"

A Medfield Historical Minute...

This "Medfield Historical Minute" is brought to you by town historian Richard DeSorgher.
A little something to read and learn to give you a little break during this time of boredom during isolation due to the Coronavirus Crisis.

A different "Medfield Historical Minute" will appear each day during the Crisis.

"In 1806 the Boston and Hartford Turnpike was built. In Medfield it entered the town from Dedham (now Dover) at Hartford Street and continued along Main Street and then over the Charles River (today’s Route 109). A turnpike from Boston to Dedham had existed for some time; and in 1804 a petition for the incorporation of “The Hartford and Dedham Turnpike Corporation” was sent to the Massachusetts Legislature. Stock was sold at $50 a share, declined to $10 five years later and eventually became worthless. For the building of the turnpike various widenings and straightenings took place along Main Street from Hartford Street to Medfield Center. As Main Street ended at Bridge Street a new causeway with bridges was built over the Charles River connecting Medfield with Medway (now Millis) with a toll gate at the corner of Main and Bridge Street, where you were required to pay a toll to pass. A line of stagecoaches was then run over the turnpike from Boston to Hartford, Connecticut and on to New York City. Bugles were blown as the stagecoach approached Medfield Center, where a change of horses took place. After 20 years, the toll-gate was removed and the turnpike became a town road."