The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-03-06
Historic Toll House
Sold By Owner To
Mt. Savage Couple
Mr.. and Mrs. Cecil Sampson
Purchase Property From
Rudolph Nickel

DurS ana Cumberland on the NaUlOnal
Highway Route 40, between Frost
burg and Cumberland, was sold Sat-
urday, March l by Rudolph Nickel, Of
Frostburg, to Cecil Sampson and his
wife, Florence Wilson Sampson, Mt.
Savage, who are planning to reside
in the house and develop the property
which includes two acres of land and
a smaller residence on the opposite
side of the highway.
Mr.. Sampson is a son of the Rev.
and Mrs. G. D. Sampson, Mt. Savage,
and is employed at the Celanese plant.
His wife is a daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ralph Wilson, Mt. Savage, Mr..
Wilson being one of the county's most
prominent civil engineers.
Built About 1882
1t is generally accepted that this
toll house, one of the few still remain
ing from stagecoach days, was built
about 1882 after the passage of an act
by the Maryland General Assembly
of 1881 which authorized the con-
struction of not more than two toll
gates on the National Highway in
Maryland. (This number was later
increased.)
The act of 1881 also authorized the
appointment Of a superintendent of
tolls with an annual salary of $500.
This, according to Jacob Brown, his
torian, in his miscellaneous writ
lngs," was an office of great influ-
ence and the possessor was a kind of
nabob in his way
The General Assembly of 1885
passed an act regulating toll charges
in Maryland, and by general agree
ment among the states through which
the highway passed. all toll houses
were provided with large wide boards,
having the appearance of mock Win
dows, firmly placed in the walls and
displaying in plain letters the rates
Of each commonwealth so that the
wayfarer might not be imposed upon.
1t will be noted that these mock
windows are still in Maryland's little
toll house, the one facing west bear
ing letters almost completely erased
by time and the elements and the one
facing east being plainly legible, the
letters having been renewed several
vars ago by Mr.. Nickel at the request
of state highway officials.
Toll Rates Varied
The toll rates are as follows:
Every score of sheep, cents. Ev-
cry score of hogs, 6 cents. Every score
of cattle, II cents. Every horse and
rider, 4 cents. Every led or driven
horse, mule or ass, cents. Every sled
or sleigh drawn by one horse or pair
Of oxen, 3 cents. Every horse or pair
Of oxen in addition, cents. Every
Dearborn, sulky, chair or chaise with
one horse, 6 cents. Every horse in adj
dition, 3 cents. Every chariot, coach,
coachee, stage, phaeton or chaise with
WV llOIC anu lOQl @IlSClo, Il CGuIS.
Every horse in addition, cents. Ev-
cry carriage of pleasure by whatever
name be it called, the same according
to the number of wheels and horses
drawing the same. Every cart or
wagon, whose wheels do not exceed
three inches in breadth, drawn by one
horse or pair of oxen, cents Every
horse in addition, cents. Every cart
or wagon whose wheels exceed three
inches and do not exceed four inches
in breadth, for every horse or pair of
oxen drawing the same, A cents. Ev-
cry cart or wagon whose wheels do
not exceed four inches and do not ex-
coed six inches in breadth, for every
horse or pair of oxen drawing the
same, 8 cents. Every cart or wagon
whose wheels exceed six inches in
breadth, for every horse drawing the
same, cents. All carts or wagons
whose wheels exceed eight inches in
breadth, free.
Constructed by Cumberlanders
According to the best information
in the possession of recent owners Of
this property, the old toll house was
built by Thomas Shriver and Com
pany, owners of the Good Intent and
Pilot Lines of coaches operating west
from Cumberland on the National
Highway.
The company consisted of Mr..
Shriver, Daniel Hutchinson, John A.
Woert, Alpheus Beall and William H.
Still, most of whom were pioneer res
idents of Cumberland. Tolls were col
lected by their successors until after
the Civil War and, according to
Scharf's History of Western Mary
land, were not entirely suspended as
late as 1872.
The toll house is in splendid condi-
ton, having been greatly improved by
Mr.. Nickel and the late David d.
Price after they purchased the prop
erty from the Laber estate in 1924.
The building has been used for resi-
Dental purposes for seventeen years,
with the exception of two years when