From collection Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company Collection
LB2007.1.70130
"Camden Turnpike", No. 145, Two Women Looking at Water Route 52 at the base of Mt. Megunticook on the shore of Lake Megunticook. The idea for the road at the base of the mountain along the shore of the lake came from Daniel Barrett, who owned the farm on what is now known as Barrett's Cove. In 1802 he proposed to build a toll road between his farm and Smelt Brook, near Youngtown Corner, in order to open up commerce between Camden and Lincolnville Center . Previously a horse trail winding up over the mountain connected the two towns, but vehicles had to go either around to Ducktrap or out to Hope to reach Lincolnville Center. Barrett's bold plan was to "roll large rocks from the mountain to make a wall, and then form the road by filling in with dirt and debris." After six years, Barrett completed the the monumental undertaking in 1808 and tried to recoup his investment by charging tolls. The tolls, which ran from 17 cents for a horse and chaise to 3 cents for a foot traveler did not cover his costs and he sold the road in 1834 for three hundred dollars. The two new owners eventually convinced the town to repay their two hundred dollar share of the purchase price and both towns agreed to acquire and maintain their respective portions of the "Turnpike". Perhaps because the turnpike was always more of a scenic asset than a commercial one, and less important to Camden then to Lincolnville, Camden's voters were often very tight-fisted when it came town to appropriate funds for maintaining this expensive road where rock slides, potholes and rails along the lake demanded constant attention. In 1911 Lincolnville citizens and private donors raised money to widen the road but Camden did not for their portion of the road. Increasingly, cars were coming to dominate Camden's roads while Lincolnville was still a horse town and cars were prohibited from the road. That year the legislature repealed the law forbidding the vehicles and appropriated funds to widen to enable both cars and wagons to pass abreast of each other without risking accidents.
