The New London Turnpike was one of West Greenwich's earliest
roads. As the name implies, it was a toll road, with several toll
booths along its route. When it opened in 1821, unpaved and three
rods wide, it was hailed as an important new link for commerce in
the area. The road was built to shorten the overland distance
between Providence and New York, which it did by 12 miles. In
addition, it brought greater access to the most important energy
source at the time: wood.
Along the turnpike, small bits of civilization sprung up to
cater to travelers along the road. However, over time, the turnpike
deteriorated. Facing competition from steamboats, railroads, and
public roads, the New London Turnpike was a financial failure. As
the road deteriorated, so did the small villages and hamlets along
it, and it eventually developed a reputation as a backwoods red
light district.
One particularly notorious area was Hell's Half Acre, a place
where murder, gambling, and the ..err.. world's oldest profession
were rampant. The only remaining reminder of this lost village are
the decaying foundations of the taverns that once stood along the
toll road. It's hard to imagine that this desolate road was once a
bustling commercial thoroughfare, and this place a neighborhood of
ill repute!
The cache location is within the bounds of the Big River
Management Area, which is RI DEM land. Be sure to wear a minimum of
200 square inches of fluorescent orange between the third Saturday
in October and the last day of February, and between the last
Tursday in April and the last day of May.
Coordinates taken with a Garmin 62s.
This cache was found as part of DiverVan's "Little Rhody DeLorme
Challenge in a Day" Lost & Found video.
See it here!
Excerpts from "Bits and pieces of West Greenwich
memoranda", Baker, Roberta (1976).