There were lots of early privately-owned toll roads in the US; see for example
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/K...wski.Turnpikes.
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The first private turnpike in the United States was chartered by Pennsylvania in 1792 and opened two years later. Spanning 62 miles between Philadelphia and Lancaster, it quickly attracted the attention of merchants in other states, who recognized its potential to direct commerce away from their regions.
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