America’s Historic Roads
Puzzle 09 · Post Roads and the New Republic · Page 23 in print
Boston Post Road
The Boston Post Road divided into upper, lower, and middle routes across Connecticut.
Jump to a word
The words
Boston
Northern terminus of the post road.
historyofmassachusetts.org: History of Boston (opens a new tab)
Charles II
English king whose commands for colonial correspondence Lovelace cited in his December 1672 letter.
Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, who surveyed the lower post road in 1753 to standardise postal rates.
Hartford
Connecticut town on the upper post road and start of the middle route.
Lovelace
Francis Lovelace, royal governor of New York who organised the first post route to Boston.
historyofmassachusetts.org: History of Boston (opens a new tab)
Mail Service
The intercolonial mail service between Boston, Connecticut and New York.
historyofmassachusetts.org: History of Boston (opens a new tab)
Milestone
Stone mile markers placed along the lower post road in 1753. Roadside markers set for distance-based postage.
New Haven
Connecticut town where upper and lower post roads diverged.
New London
Connecticut port on the lower post road.
New York
Southern terminus where the first post rider set out in 1673. Starting point of the first post ride.
Odometer
Distance-measuring device on Franklin’s carriage. Tool used to measure the post road for rates.
Postal Rates
Distance-based postage that Franklin sought to standardise.
Providence
Rhode Island town on the lower post road.
Springfield
Massachusetts town on the upper post road.
Winthrop
John Winthrop the Younger, Connecticut governor asked to cooperate on the mail service. Intercolonial partner in establishing the post route.
historyofmassachusetts.org: History of Boston (opens a new tab)
Sources
- History of Boston Post RoadHistory of Massachusetts Blog
- The Early History of the Colonial Post-Office, by Mary E. Woolley. (A Project Gutenberg eBook)Mary E. Woolley, The Early History of the Colonial Post-Office (1894), Project Gutenberg transcription
- Boston Post Road Carved out Three Travel Routes through StateConnecticutHistory.org