Mile Markers Along the Old King's Highway

King's Highway mile marker in Scarborough, Maine

I came across a reference to this 18th century mile marker in Scarborough recently and realized that I pass it almost every day on my work commute.  Standing on a landscaped area between Maine Medical Center's Scarborough campus and Route 1, the plaque on this stone reads:

Milestone on Kings Highway
Boston to Machias
Set in 1761 by order of
Benjamin Franklin
Postmaster General
One of the six known in Cumberland County
This plaque erected by Cumberland County

Benjamin Franklin's name is often evoked in relation to these mile markers because of his role as Joint Deputy Postmaster under colonial rule and the first U.S. Postmaster General.  Franklin is credited with devising a system of charging for postage based on mileage, which may have prompted the placement of markers to measure each mile along major roads.  Many accounts describe Franklin himself leading a party of men through New England with an odometer and granite posts, but there doesn't appear to be any documentation of this occurring.  It is more likely that authorities in various towns placed these markers to aid travelers in navigating and planning for overnight stays along their routes.  Markers were usually carved with one or more letters and numbers, indicating the distance from other cities.  Markers along the King's Highway in Maine were usually carved with a 'B' and a number indicating the distance of that point from Boston.

King's Highway marker in South Portland

The King's Highway (also known as the Colonial Post Road or Boston Post Road) was first established around 1673 to address the need for a reliable route for correspondence between New York and Boston, and later between Boston and northern locations.  Stone mile markers were placed along this and other New England roads through the early 1800s.  Parts of the King's Highway in Maine can be traced along existing roads today, including large portions of Route 1.

The plaque on the Scarborough marker claims that it was one of six known markers in Cumberland County at the time the plaque was placed, but I have only found references to a total of four so far (click the links for information on locations):

1. Scarborough, Route 1
2. South Portland, Westbrook Street
3. Cumberland, 100 Middle Road
4. Cumberland, Route 88

Here are a few resources for learning more:

• Article about early roads in Scarborough on the Maine Memory Network
• Information about stone mile markers in New England from James and Mary Gage
• The King's Highway from Portland to Kittery; Stagecoach & Tavern Days on the Old Post Road by Herbert G. Jones (1953 book)

Close-up of South Portland marker plaque

"B 122" still visible on South Portland marker

Posted by Bjorn Swenson