The George Holmes Bixby Memorial Library will host Bill McAuley for “Journey along the Second New Hampshire Turnpike” on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Francestown Town Hall.
McAuley, curator of the Francestown Heritage Museum, will recount the history of the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, one of four turnpikes established by state law in 1791 to improve travel across New Hampshire. Completed around 1800, the route ran in a straight line from Amherst to Claremont. His presentation will take attendees on a virtual journey from Boston to Montreal with stops in local towns.
Ownership of the turnpikes later shifted to towns and the state, with parts of the Second New Hampshire Turnpike incorporated into modern roads.
The program is free.