South Oyster Bay Turnpike Company Collection

Selected Item: South Oyster Bay Turnpike Company finding aid

The South Oyster Bay Turnpike Company was incorporated on April 7th, 1817, with the purpose of constructing a road between Hempstead and Babylon, then known as Huntington South. The road would by a toll road, with gates and toll houses erected along its length.

Revenue collected by the toll road proved insufficient to continue it on a profitable basis and the Company abandoned it in 1870. The toll house at Amityville was sold to J.E. Ireland and removed from the site for use as a private dwelling. The road and its upkeep reverted to the township of Oyster Bay.

The collection is composed largely of minutes from meetings of the directors as well as for elections. Receipts and legal agreements pertaining to the Company’s operations are also present. There is a list of all bridges along the turnpike route, presumably collected for engineering and construction purposes as well.