Sacandaga Turnpike and Bridge Company record book, 1814-1819

Summary

Creator:

Sacandaga Turnpike and Bridge Company

Abstract:

The record book contains meeting minutes and financial records of a turnpike and bridge construction company in Schenectady, New York.

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Shannon Wait, May 2010

Background

Scope and Content:

The Sacandaga Turnpike and Bridge Company record book contains 152 pages documenting the company's meetings and financial transactions. The front of the book comprises 134 pages of minutes of stockholders' meetings for the company, spanning 1814-1819. These record Board of Directors elections, leadership changes, contracts with clients, reports by surveyors, business brought up at meetings, and resolutions passed. The contracts, in particular, contain substantial information about road and bridge specifications, locations, and costs. They frequently provide details about the road width, arch, items to be dug up and removed, and the placement of wood "steppers." The minutes also record interactions and financial transactions with shareholders, the results of inspections, and the salaries of board officers (p. 127). At the back of the volume, 18 pages of receipts document the payments made to the treasurer after the completion of contracts. These cover the years 1814-1816.

Biographical / Historical:

The first private turnpike in the United States opened in Pennsylvania in 1794, sparking the development of many such ventures. One was Sacandaga Turnpike and Bridge Company, which was incorporated in 1812 in Schenectady, New York. The company built and maintained several roads and bridges in Schenectady and Scotia, New York. Supported by public stock subscription, it charged tolls for use of the turnpike and paid dividends to its stockholders. In 1814, the Board of Directors elected James Boyd as president and James Bailey as treasurer. The company was active until at least 1819.

Acquisition Information:

1977. M-1787 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Roads--Design and construction.
Roads--New York (State)
Toll bridges.
Toll roads--New York (State)

Formats:

Meeting minutes.
Receipts.

Places:

Schenectady (N.Y.)
Scotia (N.Y.)