The only means of getting there yourself (aside from the Railroads after the mid-19th Century, or boats to water accessible places) was to get yourself a horse, and perhaps a wagon, and head off on the turnpikes.  It was not exactly quick transportation, but in these days, the pace was a bit more leisurely.  The turnpikes, oftentimes wooded and dense offered little indication of how far a traveller had to venture before reaching their intended destination.  The best indication to the never ending travelling question of "Is it much farther?" lay in a series of markers laid out alongside the turnpikes.  These markers made out of granite, placed on the left (with some exception) as the traveller approached the city, would give a simple indication of just how many more miles lay ahead for the journey.

Since their implementation, dating back to at least the early part of the 19th Century, the old "turnpikes" have witnessed an amazing amount of change.  The end of the 18th Century brought an urban expansion brought about by the streetcar, whose lines created suburbs, and their resulting sprawl.  The early days of the 20th Century saw the debut of the automobile, resulting in the old Turnpikes being widened to accomodate ever increasing traffic, as well as the companies being formally disbanded after bring bought out by the State Roads Commission.  The result is that the areas surrounding Baltimore of old are a far cry from their appearance during the early to mid 19th Century.

So surely with all the change, one would assume that these old markers have long since vanished in the street widening boom of the 20th Century, right?!?   Not exactly.  Sure, many of the stones have vanished in the sprawl of things, but a handful of these fascinating markers do persist, many times loved and helped along to survive by those who are aware of what they are, and perhaps even by those who mistake them for something entirely different (and perhaps other times discarded, as their surroundings have changed to the point where something resembling a gravestone just doesn't look right in someone's front yard!).  Here's a look at some of the Milestones encountered so far on the old "Turnpikes" into Baltimore.

Click on any outlined photo for a larger, more detailed image (and you'll need to in order to make out many of the engravings):

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This road to York was one of the first three turnpike companies authorized by the legislature in 1787.  Following the path of today's York Road (and Greenmount Avenue), this long established artery remains a heavily developed path through much of the Baltimore area, with development only slacking off beyond Loveton.  Still, despite the development, at least three mile post markers are known to survive within the Metropolitan area.

Milepost:	Approximate Location (in parentheses when not found but location assumed):	Survival State / Notes:
YORK 1	(Greenmount & 21st)	Not Yet Researched
YORK 2	(Greenmount & 34th)	Not Yet Researched, may even lie on Old York Road
YORK 3	(York & Northway)	Not Found, believed to be gone, area occupied by Auto Shop and Storage facilty buit in York Road Car House
YORK 4	(York & Harwood)	Not Found, retail and church property
YORK 5	York & Walker	EXTANT - See below
YORK 6	(York & La Paix)	Not Found, residential and church development
YORK 7	(York & Chesapeake)	Not Found, heavily developed commercial district
YORK 8	(York & I-695)	Not Found, National Guard quarters and Beltway cloverleaf
YORK 9	York & Seminary	EXTANT - See below
YORK 10	York below Padonia	EXTANT - See below

First of the markers to be discovered was this one, thanks to a lead from a man named Charlie in that far off land known as California (no, not the one in Calvert County either).  This stone, located on the East side of York Road above Walker Avenue, used to be hidden within some shrubery, but has since emerged to tell the distance to Baltimore once again.  Incidentally, the stone reads "5 M To B."  Travelling inward five miles from this spot will land one at about Greenmount Avenue and Eager Street.
Though heavily weathered, one can still decipher the old stone's scribings.	This view shows that the stone probably once suffered the indignity of an automobile collision, as evidenced by the patching on its lower area.
"Lucky 9" is the only way to describe this hardy survivor on the York Road Corridor, second of the York Road markers found.  This stone sits prominently, almost flush with the inside of the curb on York Road.  With the level of traffic this marker sees daily (it was not even easy to photograph for the busy-ness), it's remarkable that it has not met with less fortuitous fate.  Nine may indeed be the luckiest number among mileposts yet!
Though chipped and faded, "York 9's" impressions are remarkably clear.	York 9's survival is ever more remarkable considering the constant passing of traffic at speeds averaging 40 MPH and more.
With a little help from a site visitor, as well as a little luck, I finally found "York 10," which had evaded me on earlier visits, as it sits back from the road and is often sheilded visibly by a utility pole.  Nonethess, it is alive and well.
With much of its bulbous base emerged, Stone 10 likely has been "replanted" some from its original location, but the historian is thankful that the stone still greets visitors along the Yorktown Turnpike.	One reason why #10 was a little difficult to detect in driving at York Road's current day speeds is its location.  Situated next to a modern diner, the stone is obscured by both the utility pole and the utility box nearby.

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Another of the initial companies, the Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike was a portion of the greater National Road, the nation's first cross country "Interstate."  Primarily designed as a way to lure homesteaders to the Western frontier, the local portion of the road operated along today's Frederick Road, using West Baltimore (then Market) Street for its inner most mile.  While retaining a good bit more scenic charm than the local portion of the Yorktown turnpike has, the road still has its share of development.  Portions of the road have been lost to the development of its newer rivals: US Route 40 and Interstate 70.  Still, the old road, known in Maryland as State Route 144, seems to have a higher percentage of its original milestones than any of the other old turnpikes.

Milepost:	Approximate Location (in parentheses when not found but location assumed):	Survival State/ Notes:
FREDERICK 1	(Baltimore & Carey)	Not Found - long ago developed, and presumed discarded
FREDERICK 2	(Frederick & Franklintown)	Not Found, Residential Development, presumed discarded
FREDERICK 3	Frederick & McCurley	EXTANT - See Below
FREDERICK 4	Frederick & Beechfield	EXTANT - See Below
FREDERICK 5	Frederick & Overbrook	EXTANT - See Below
FREDERICK 6	Frederick & St. Timothy's	EXTANT - See Below
FREDERICK 7	Frederick & S. Rolling	Extant but moved to Catonsville Library
FREDERICK 8		Not Found - Residential Development
FREDERICK 9	Frederick East of Nine Mile Cir.	EXTANT - See Below

Another marker to survive lies well within current city boundaries.  Interestingly, I used to pass this stone daily long before getting actively involved in artifact hunting.  At the time, I had dismissed it for being someone's solitary gravestone.  It was only after passing it one particular day  that I it caught my eye once again, and I realized just what it was.  Though the number is somewhat obscured, it's a flat headed "3."  This stone lies on the North Side of Frederick Road between Fredhilton Pass and McCurley Street in Irvington, and is very well preserved.  Interestingly, this stone lies facing "New" Frederick Road as opposed to "Old" Frederick Road which is just on the other side of the church, meeting the newer throrofare just a block East.
Close inspection of the stone reveals just what this remarkable remnant is!	The presence of Frederick Turnpike's "Milestone 3" within a churchyard causes it to be readily mistaken for a gravestone.
"Frederick 4" is a little trickier to locate, due to it being set back from the street a bit, and rather obscured by a fence that houses a Cellular Tower.  Regardless, the stone is alive and well in its surroundings...
To date, Frederick 4 is the farthest from the streetbed milestone found, though this has probably been beneficial to its survival.	The shadows of the chain link fence distract, but with concentration, the inscription can be deciphered.
Just inside the present City Limits is "Frederick 5," another of the surviving stones.  Unlike every other stone discovered so far, this stone lies on the right side of the roadway when approaching the City.  The explanation for this is that the stone was probably relocated around the time when the semi-detached housing was constructed on the North Side of Frederick Avenue.  As such, the stone looks more fitting outside the Cemetery, though it appears like the gravestone that escaped to those who may not know just what the stone represents.
Frederick 5 could easily be mistaken for a lost gravestone, considering its location outside the National Cemetery on Frederick Road, and considering the lack of quick identification of it as a milestone.	From this location, the stone has watched the construction of detached housing across Frederick Road.  In addition, it has seen travelers to the city by horse, wagon, horsecar, streetcar, and now, by way of the #2 bus.
Frederick 6 is  probably the most celebrated of all of the "National Road" stones in this area.   Resting outside a Cifco station just to the East of Saint Timothy's Lane, the stone carries with it a marker detailing its origin, and dating the stones on the road to the year 1787.  The Frederick stones may be the oldest of them all, considering that most survivors are badly worn to the point of being illegible, and Frederick 6 is no exception.
Frederick 6 is still a frequent stop for travellers on the National Road, thanks to the Fueling Station located behind it.	Frederick 6's face is basically illegible, a far cry from the likes of Frederick 3.
Close up detail of the marker plaque accompanying Frederick 6.
Frederick 7 is something of a strange bird.  First of all, it is not in its proper location, instead residing in a garden in front of the Catonsville Library.  To complicate things further, the stone's number is crudely reinforced, while the original markings beneath clearly seem to show circular etchings, giving rise to the possibility that this may in fact be Frederick 8?!?
Frederick 7 rests outside the Baltimore County Public Library.  Supposedly, it was moved from the site of the Hillside School nearby.
Frederick 9 stands prominently visible just about 2/10's of a mile East of the Eastern entrance to Nine Mile Circle, slightly west of the intersection of Old Frederick and Frederick.  The stone is in better shape than Frederick 6, but seems to be slightly off placement with the other well calibrated stone, seeming to be set too far West, at least according to the Odometer in my car!
The "M" and "To B" are able to be made out, but it seems that the number on Frederick 9 may have had a brush with vandalism. :(	Despite it's proximity to Housing, Frederick 9 appears less like a gravestone than many of it's bretheren

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Reisterstown Turnpike was the third of the intial turnpike companies authorized.  The line led out of Baltimore along the path of present day Reisterstown Road before splitting into two branches in Reisterstown, one headed to Hanover, Pennsylvania along Route 30, the other bound for Westminister along Route 140.  The artery has been greatly widened, particularly in its suburban form in the proximity of the Beltway and Owings Mills.  Many of its stones were known to exist as little as 20 years ago, but have since vanished.  The first milstone, which had rested at Pennsylvania Avenue and Robert Street, had been well documented, but has been AWOL since about 1941.  Stone number 5, on the Southwest corner of Reisterstown and Hayward has gone without notice so far, though a lounge on the opposite corner is called the "Five Mile House."

"Seven Mile Lane" near Pikesville is not named for its own length, but rather the point where it intersected the turnpike: at the seven mile marker, which after years of neglect, was restored and recut in 1959 by the Women's Club of Pikesville. 

Reisterstown 9 had been known to exist as little as 10 years ago, about 1/4 mile North of the Baltimore Beltway on the West side of the street, but several unfruitful searches by myself and fellow Ghost Hunter Dan Gibbs have yet to reveal the old stone, leaving one to presume that the recent work on the artery swallowed up the stone.

Similarly, known stones at mile locations 12, 14, and 15 have, as of yet, gone undetected, though they may yet be there, judging by how tricky it was to find stone #16.

Hidden in the summer months by a wealth of growth is the seven mile stone of the Reisterstown Turnpike, which is actually a block above the Seven Mile lane that is named after it.	Neglected and forgotten for years, the stone was recut with new lettering in 1959 by the Women's Club of Pikesville.
Accompanying the stone is this plaque, which is nicely painted, and tells the tale of the stone.  The location used to be a Frankel car dealership, but is now the location of a Supermarket.
Let someone else do the driving, and you can very well find things you would have never found on your own.  Such is the case with Reisterstown 16.  Armed with no prior knowledge of its existence, and riding along with my Brother as he did his own Ghost Hunting for old Movie Theatres, I spotted an odd shape buried in the hedges along Reisterstown Road in Chartley.
Lacking any readable inscription at all, Reisterstown 16 sits amidst a privet hedge in Chartley, a little North of the Chartley Shopping Center.  It was only after reading documetation on the stones that I was able to determine which one it was.	Even deliberately overexposing this shot to no end, it is nearly impossible to detect Reisterstown 16 hiding within the hedge.  A peek at the larger shot will show only a slight hint of where this anti-social stone resides.
Journeying out Reisterstown Road further, I was able to find at least one easy stone along the Hanover Pike leg of the turnpike.  Badly weathered #17 sits in plain view at the Southeast corner of Hanover Pike and Butler Road in Reisterstown.
Looking South along Hanover Pike in Reisterstown, one can clearly see old milepost marker #17 on the Hanover branch of the Reisterstown turnpike.	The condition of the found stones on the Reisterstown Pike leads one to believe their founders used a lesser grade of stone, judging by the degree to which the stones have deteriorated.  The dead spot of grass surrounding this stone leads one to sadly wonder if this stone has been the favorite spot of a local Rottweiller.

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Chartered in 1805, the Falls Turnpike was organized to offer suitable transportation to the many residents, mills, and quarries along the length of the Jones Falls.  Despite the desires of its officials to extend the road Northward to connect with Hanover, Pennsylvania, this request was denied by the legislature.  In addition, no connection was to be allowed between this road and the Yorktown Turnpike.  As such, the turnpike follows Falls Road out only as far as Brooklandville, with the outer portion a free road that was never part of the turnpike company.  The enterprise had faltered by the 1860's, and the road had deteriorated to the point where local residents were generally hostile towards the company.  It was only a matter of time beore the road fell into public hands.

Milepost:	Approximate Location (in parentheses when not found but location assumed):	Survival State/ Notes:
FALLS 1	(Falls & North Ave.)	Not Found - Believed Discarded
FALLS 2	(Falls @ 29th St. Bridge)	Not Found - Believed Discarded
FALLS 3	(Falls & 37th)	Not Found - Mixed Development
FALLS 4	(Falls opp. Western H.S.)	Not Found - Light Residential Development
FALLS 5	(Falls & Northern Pkwy)	Not Found - Gas Station
FALLS 6	(Falls & Jones Falls)	Not Found - Believed Discarded
FALLS 7	Falls & Coppermine	EXTANT - See Below
FALLS 8	Falls & Ruxton	EXTANT - See Below
FALLS 9	(Falls & Jones Falls)	Not Found - Largely undeveloped
FALLS 10	(Falls & Seminary)	Not Found - Light Res. Development - Likely was not a portion of the actual turnpike.

While the York and Frederick Roads certainly led to somewhere, Falls Road is interesting in that it basically led out from Baltimore into fields and farms, and little else.  Thus, a casual search of the thorofare was not expected to yield any stones.  On the other hand, unlike most other old routings, much of this route remains at two lanes wide.  Thus, it was thought that if there was any corridor in which milestones could survive, Falls Road would definitely be a candidate.  Thankfully, just this casual search netted a wonderful bonus.  Just North of Old Pimlico Road, opposite Coppermine terrace, lies Falls Road's milestone 7, sitting in the woods as it has done spanning at least 3 centuries.
Seemingly shorter than the known stones of the other turnpike companies is this neat stone, possibly crafted in Marble.	Note the differences in lettering style between this marker and that on Frederick Road.
Further investigation found another Falls Road milestone, proving that more can be found.  This one lies away from the roadbed a bit, along a historic house in Rockland.  It is visible on the East shoulder of the road just above the Ruxton Road/Old Court Road intersection, and is in splendid shape....
The stone and the stone house seem to complement each other perfectly.	Falls 8 certainly has the sharpest inscription between the Falls, York and National Road stones.
The Eastern shoulder of Falls Road below the site of Milepost 8 until recently showed a neat glimpse of what the surface of the early turnpikes was like, with a stone surface similar to cobblestone, but generally lighter	With its proximity to nearby quarries, the Falls turnpike likely used some good quality stone, which in this case has lasted in use for nearly 200 years.

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One would assume that Philadelphia Road would be a hotbed of milestone madness, as most of it remains a simple two lane roadway, yet a search along the thorofare has netted only one sighting, way out in Abingdon.  This stretch of the roadway appears to have had a drainage ditch installed, thus offering likely explanation for the disappearance of any other stones, while this one, Philadelphia 22, appears to have been deliberately spared (and rotated 90 degrees as well).  Still, it's a welcome sight on this old thorofare that will hopefully lead to way to further discoveries.

Stone 8 had been known to exist at 8919 Philadelphia Road near White Marsh, near the Lamb of God Lutheran Church, but earlier trips through the area failed to show this stone.  Perhaps a follow up voyage will yield a sighting.

Philly 22 seems proud to proclaim the distance between it and distant Baltimore.

The following photos come courtesy of Steve Okonski, and show that Central Maryland is home to some other interesting milestones as well, and showing that Baltimore is not the only locality to mark miles from.  This unique stone sits in Clarksville at Rt 108 and Great Star Drive just waiting for an SUV to pulverize it (Steve's remark - sad, but true!).  It marks "9 M TO EC" (Ellicott City).

Steve adds:...

A couple of interesting tidbits here: the 9 digit is carved as a mirror image!  One can assume this was accidental, unless backwards 9 was a screwy way to indicate the EC is to the right.  Also, the initials are EC, not EM, so this was after the town changed names from Ellicott's Mills to Ellicott City.

Route 108 was known as Clarksville Pike.  It split from Columbia Pike somewhere near the present day intersection of US 29 and MD 108.  The two Pikes created a fairly straight route between Clarksville and
Ellicott City.   I guess purists don't want to see the markers moved at all.  I can understand that: if you move it, it's not really the same anymore.  The milestone in Clarksville seems to have forced last minute mods to the road design: the striping is not parallel to the curb.  Ironically, this creates driver confusion that will likely
trigger the eventual demise of the marker with help from a big SUV.  Perhaps it should be moved ~10 feet back.

Top photo shows just how vulnerable this milestone is, while shot at right shows the unique inscription style.

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The area also had several other turnpike companies as well.  The Baltimore and Jerusalem Turnpike mainly followed the path of today's Bel Air Road, and it was known of a surviving stone existing along this artery.  Charles Street Avenue ran to the intersection of Bellona Avenue, just outside the city, and has no known evidence of its original function.  The Columbia or Washington Turnpike ran along much of today's Washington Boulevard, and for years, the only known surviving stone was near College Park.  The last of the turnpikes to survive, three connecting roads into the Dulaney Valley, have had their courses altered to some degree due to the Loch Raven Reservoir, and it is not known if any of the road's stones survive.  At least two of Harford's stones persist.  Site viewers were nice enough to send me photos which my system lost in a recent foul up on my PC :(.  Liberty follows much of today's Liberty Road and Garrison Boulevard.  No record exists of stones before the Carroll County line.  Meanwhile, the short Franklintown Turnpike, following much of Franklintown and Calverton Roads appears to lack any traces of its past, though a toll house had survived for many years near it.

I hope to still expand this page even further in time, and find more neat artifacts of some of the area's earliest true roads.  Please feel free to contact me with what you might know!

FOR MORE ON THE OLD TURNPIKES IN BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY, THEIR HISTORY, AND THE RELICS ALONG THEM, BE CERTAIN TO INSPECT A COPY OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S BOOK DIFFICULTIES MADE EASY, AVAILABLE AT LOCAL LIBRARIES.

GOT MORE MILESTONE MADNESS?!?  CONTACT ME!!!