plAnk Road (Hy. A) Traditional Cache

Why Plank Road???

RACINE COUNTY — If you came to the growing City of Racine during the mid 1800s or early 1900s and it wasn’t by train or by boat, you may have spent at least a little bit of your time on a toll road. Owned and operated mostly by private companies, these “plank roads” were made of wood and travelers were required to pay a toll to gatekeepers who were housed at various intervals.

A - Astronomy

Notice the nearby observatory!  The Modine Benstead Observatory includes two domed observatories as part of the facility. The main building includes the 16-inch telescope, an observation deck, library and meeting room. The smaller domed building houses our 14-inch telescope.

Tolls.

According to a history of Racine County published in 1916, the toll was about 2 cents a mile for a wagon and team of horses. Anyone traveling for a religious meeting or funeral did not have to pay, however.