Seneca Turnpike

{{short description|Road in New York State, U.S.}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

The Seneca Road Company was formed to improve the main road running west from Utica, New York, the Genesee Road, from Utica to Canandaigua and operate it as a toll road or turnpike.{{cite book |first=Archer Butler |last=Hulbert |title=Historic Highways of America |publisher=Ams Pr Inc |year=1971}} The road became known as the Seneca Turnpike, which was {{convert|157|mi|0}} long and, at the time, the longest toll road in the state.{{Cite encyclopedia |publisher=Syracuse University Press |isbn=978-0-8156-0808-0 |pages=1588–1589 |editor1-first=Peter R. |editor1-last=Eisenstadt |editor2-first=Laura-Eve |editor2-last=Moss |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of New York State |title=Turnpikes |year=2005}}

The road quickly led to the building of many hotels and inns along the route and was a catalyst of commerce.

Toll gates were at {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} intervals. The company was profitable and paid dividends of 10 percent for 30 years. Competition from newly constructed railroads in the late 1830s reduced traffic.

In 1846, with revenues insufficient to maintain the turnpike, the company concluded it could no longer compete and be profitable. It gave back its charter, the company was dissolved, and the roadway reverted to a public road.{{cite web|url=http://clintonhistory.org/uncategorized/seneca-turnpike/|title=Seneca Turnpike - Clinton Historical Society|website=clintonhistory.org}} The roadway is still in existence as part of New York State Route 5 and is still called the Seneca Turnpike or Old Seneca Turnpike in some places.