Toll Gate East of Stamford
Toll Gate One Mile East of Stamford
By Karen Cuccinello
This toll gate house was along what is now Rte 23, which had numerous names in the past: the Susquehanna/Catskill/Delaware Turnpike or Stamford-Grand Gorge Rd. Sandy Ferris told me the toll gate used to sit beyond Murphy Road about where there is a driveway that goes down behind the barn on the left hand side.
In 1884 and 1885 Don McPherson (1869-1941) was a drover who went on five trips helping to bring cattle from Delhi to Catskill (a trip of about 75 miles), then across the Hudson to Blue Store. He remembers going through the toll gate east of Stamford, so it was in operation then.
When Richard A. Lynch started as a rural mail carrier in 1905 (a position he held until 1934) the lady in the toll would take note of his passing through twice per day and the government would pay the toll.
The only toll gate keeper I could find was Mrs. Lucinda (Wallace) Mahan/Mayhan (1827-1908), who was the keeper for 22 years probably from 1886-1908. She married William Mahan about 1850 and they were living in Gilboa in 1855 with two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth (Libbie). In 1860 her husband died, age 37, and she was in Jefferson with one more daughter Florence Ella, then back to Gilboa with her family for the 1875 and 1880 census. Lucinda is in Stamford for the 1900 census with her youngest daughter F. Ella who died four years later at age 44. Her rent was probably free as long as she collected the tolls as gate keeper. She died in Stamford in 1908 and is buried with her husband and daughter in the Stamford Cemetery.
The next to own the toll gate, that I know of, was William Jefferson (mostly went by Jefferson or Jeff) and Delia/Ardelia/Della (Van Hoesen) Ames in February 1913. Jefferson served in the 91st Infantry during the Civil War January – July 1865. They had at least four children: Eldora, Carlos, William Jr. and Elmer. Sadly, Jefferson (1847-1913) died June 1913 after he hit a pothole and was thrown out of his wagon, then was run over by his own dump cart. Delia (1859-1920) sold the property to John Gray in 1919. I do not think tolls were being collected anymore.
John Gray was a dairy farmer who married Elizabeth Crumb and they had at least four children: Marie, John, Helen and Leonard. They sold the house to Fred P. Murphy in 1945.
April 24, 1947 (SMR)- Grand Opening- Stamford Auction Commission Sales Pavilion – Located about one mile east of Stamford on the Grand Gorge Road, formerly the John Gray Farm. Consign Your Cattle, Machinery, Produce, Furniture or any other effects to us for weekly sales.
November 1958 Stamford Mirror-Recorder (SMR)- The former John Gray farm house on the Stamford-Grand Gorge road has recently under gone remodeling for employees of Prospect Dairy.
November 16, 1967 Delaware Republican – The toll house, the property of Fred P. Murphy of Stamford, has been given to the Delaware County historical association by Mrs. Murphy and will be brought to the museum grounds as an addition to the group of early Delaware County buildings being assembled there. (It had previously been a tenant house)
November 1975 (SMR)- Delaware County Historical Association….Also under renovation at the museum is the Toll Gate house which was moved to the site several years ago from the former Catskill Turnpike. The restoration work is being done by George Cochrane and Son of Delhi.
Here’s a little history on the Catskill- Susquehanna Turnpike from Don McPherson’s book #5 that is housed in the Stamford Village Library history room. The roadway was cleared between 1800 and 1802 and started in Salsbury, CT to Catskill on the Hudson River and then to Wattles Ferry (Unadilla) on the Susquehanna River. People bought shares to pay for the turnpike and then toll gates were set up about every 10 miles to support the upkeep of the road.
After a time the turnpike was broken up into sections and people would own and maintain their section.
Stamford and Harpersfield bought out the stockholders of The Delaware Turnpike that included the Stamford and Harpersfield toll stations in 1907 for $3452.60.