Why is The Boston Post Road so historically important?
In the early days of Massachusetts, if you wanted to get from
Boston to the western part of the state, the Boston Post Road was
your only option, and it was widely used by horses & carriages,
and stagecoaches. This road got its name from another important
function it provided-- mail delivery. (In the late 1700s, Americans
were still using the British term "the post," where today we call
it "the mail.") Riders who worked for the postal service used the
Boston Post Road to deliver letters and packages across the state.
After a system of paved roads and highways was developed, the
Boston Post Road became US Route 1, around 1925.