Daily AncestorToll gatherer
A toll gatherer collected the tolls charged for using a turnpike road, bridge or canal, often living in a small house beside the gate.
Many early American turnpikes were built and run by private companies that charged travelers by the wagon, horse or head of livestock. The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike of the 1790s is a well-known example. The toll gatherer stopped traffic at the gate and took the fee.
The job ended when a road or bridge was made free. The Lancaster pike, for example, collected tolls until 1917, when the state bought it.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Sarah Pike, 58, Toll gatherer, N.H.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Toll gatherer." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/tollgatherer. Last checked 2026-10-01.