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Toll Gate |
| In the heart of the island, along the main road between May Pen and Mandeville, is the small rural village of Toll Gate. The residents may tell you that not much happens in Toll Gate, and they are right – nowadays very little by the way of excitement passes their way. In the 1850s, however, the village enjoyed its proverbial fifteen minutes of fame when riots, started there, brought the small district to the attention of the whole island and the then government.
The riots began when toll gates were erected along many major thoroughfares, preventing travellers from proceeding to their destinations until they paid a small fee. The tolls collected, it is said, were to fund road building and maintenance, but even the noble intention could not convince the electorate to pay the small fee. Eventually, Governor Eyre abolished the toll gate system, but the village along what is now the A2 retained the name from the toll gate that stood there.
Today, Toll Gate is a major stop for truckers driving across the island, and home to a large community of cattle rearers and elderly farmers. The main income generating activity in the area is farming, seconded by animal husbandry and cane cutting, in season. Generally, the citizens of Toll Gate do not see many tourists, but visitors are always welcome, and members of the community will be happy to talk about ol’ time Jamaica, politics, or anything at all, over a game of dominoes, in one of the shops along the main road. |
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