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- Rocks Village Toll House - Many early American bridges operated as private businesses. Travelers paid tolls to cross them. Tolls repaid construction costs, funded maintenance, and hopefully produced a profit for owners. Workers at this toll house, built in 1828, collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River at Rocks Village, Massachusetts. Henry Ford acquired the building in 1928 and moved it to Greenfield Village.

- 1828
- Collections - Artifact
Rocks Village Toll House
Many early American bridges operated as private businesses. Travelers paid tolls to cross them. Tolls repaid construction costs, funded maintenance, and hopefully produced a profit for owners. Workers at this toll house, built in 1828, collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River at Rocks Village, Massachusetts. Henry Ford acquired the building in 1928 and moved it to Greenfield Village.
- The Toll House, Whitman, Massachusetts, circa 1945 - Ruth Wakefield was a dietitian and food lecturer until she and her husband Kenneth opened the Toll House Inn restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, in 1930. At the Toll House Inn, Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. And, in the late 1930s, she "invented" what would become America's favorite cookie -- the chocolate chip.

- circa 1945
- Collections - Artifact
The Toll House, Whitman, Massachusetts, circa 1945
Ruth Wakefield was a dietitian and food lecturer until she and her husband Kenneth opened the Toll House Inn restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, in 1930. At the Toll House Inn, Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. And, in the late 1930s, she "invented" what would become America's favorite cookie -- the chocolate chip.
- The Toll House, Kenneth and Ruth Wakefield, Whitman, Massachusetts, 1930-1935 - Ruth Wakefield was a dietitian and food lecturer until she and her husband Kenneth opened the Toll House Inn restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, in 1930. At the Toll House Inn, Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. And, in the late 1930s, she "invented" what would become America's favorite cookie -- the chocolate chip.

- 1930-1935
- Collections - Artifact
The Toll House, Kenneth and Ruth Wakefield, Whitman, Massachusetts, 1930-1935
Ruth Wakefield was a dietitian and food lecturer until she and her husband Kenneth opened the Toll House Inn restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, in 1930. At the Toll House Inn, Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. And, in the late 1930s, she "invented" what would become America's favorite cookie -- the chocolate chip.
- Menu, "The Toll House Inn," circa 1950 - At the Toll House Inn, Ruth Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. This menu includes lunch and dinner meal selections, mention of the inn's gift shop, and a pitch for the restaurant as a venue for business meetings or social events. Ruth "invented" the chocolate chip cookie at the Toll House Inn in the late 1930s.

- circa 1950
- Collections - Artifact
Menu, "The Toll House Inn," circa 1950
At the Toll House Inn, Ruth Wakefield served home-cooked meals for tourists and local customers. This menu includes lunch and dinner meal selections, mention of the inn's gift shop, and a pitch for the restaurant as a venue for business meetings or social events. Ruth "invented" the chocolate chip cookie at the Toll House Inn in the late 1930s.
- Rocks Village Toll House in East Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1916 - The first bridge across the Merrimack River at Rocks Village (near Haverhill), Massachusetts, opened in 1795. It was destroyed by a flood in 1818 and replaced with a second bridge ten years later. In 1873, a new iron swing span was built at the bridge's center. Iron trusses replaced wood trusses at the bridge's west and east ends in 1895 and 1914, respectively.

- 1916
- Collections - Artifact
Rocks Village Toll House in East Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1916
The first bridge across the Merrimack River at Rocks Village (near Haverhill), Massachusetts, opened in 1795. It was destroyed by a flood in 1818 and replaced with a second bridge ten years later. In 1873, a new iron swing span was built at the bridge's center. Iron trusses replaced wood trusses at the bridge's west and east ends in 1895 and 1914, respectively.
- Rocks Village Bridge Tollhouse on Its Original Site, Rocks Village, Haverill, Massachusetts - This photograph shows the Rocks Village Toll House located near Haverhill, Massachusetts. Just as private ferry operators carried early travelers across rivers, many early bridges were built and operated as private businesses, and travelers paid tolls to cross them. Workers at this toll house collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River.

- circa 1890
- Collections - Artifact
Rocks Village Bridge Tollhouse on Its Original Site, Rocks Village, Haverill, Massachusetts
This photograph shows the Rocks Village Toll House located near Haverhill, Massachusetts. Just as private ferry operators carried early travelers across rivers, many early bridges were built and operated as private businesses, and travelers paid tolls to cross them. Workers at this toll house collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River.
- Recipe Booklet, "Favorite Chocolate Recipes made with Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate," 1940 - In the late 1930s, Ruth Wakefield "invented" the chocolate chip cookie. She chopped up a Nestle's semisweet chocolate bar and added the pieces to her sweet cookie batter. The cookies were hugely popular, leading Nestle to score its chocolate bar and include a small chopper for easy cutting. Soon, Nestle began mass producing morsels. The Toll House recipe was included on every package.

- 1940
- Collections - Artifact
Recipe Booklet, "Favorite Chocolate Recipes made with Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate," 1940
In the late 1930s, Ruth Wakefield "invented" the chocolate chip cookie. She chopped up a Nestle's semisweet chocolate bar and added the pieces to her sweet cookie batter. The cookies were hugely popular, leading Nestle to score its chocolate bar and include a small chopper for easy cutting. Soon, Nestle began mass producing morsels. The Toll House recipe was included on every package.
- Toll House Heritage Cookbook : A Collection of Favorite Desserts, 1980 - Nestle published this dessert cookbook of "old fashioned favorites"--including the Toll House chocolate chip cookies first developed in the 1930s. Yet the recipes also reflect changes in food trends over the decades--offering tips on how to make "giant" 4-inch chocolate chips (the first Toll House cookies were small), a whole wheat adaptation, time-saving pan cookies, and a refrigerated dough version.

- 1980
- Collections - Artifact
Toll House Heritage Cookbook : A Collection of Favorite Desserts, 1980
Nestle published this dessert cookbook of "old fashioned favorites"--including the Toll House chocolate chip cookies first developed in the 1930s. Yet the recipes also reflect changes in food trends over the decades--offering tips on how to make "giant" 4-inch chocolate chips (the first Toll House cookies were small), a whole wheat adaptation, time-saving pan cookies, and a refrigerated dough version.
- Ruth Wakefield's Toll House Tried and True Recipes - Ruth Wakefield shared her Toll House Inn restaurant's recipes for entrees, side dishes, and desserts in a best-selling cookbook, <em>Toll House Tried and True Recipes</em>. The book would go through 39 printings. The 1938 edition was the first to include the recipe for her famous cookie "invention"--the chocolate chip, which she called the "Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie."

- 1946
- Collections - Artifact
Ruth Wakefield's Toll House Tried and True Recipes
Ruth Wakefield shared her Toll House Inn restaurant's recipes for entrees, side dishes, and desserts in a best-selling cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes. The book would go through 39 printings. The 1938 edition was the first to include the recipe for her famous cookie "invention"--the chocolate chip, which she called the "Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie."
- Rocks Village Toll House in East Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1928 - This photograph shows the Rocks Village Toll House located near Haverhill, Massachusetts. Just as private ferry operators carried early travelers across rivers, many early bridges were built and operated as private businesses, and travelers paid tolls to cross them. Workers at this toll house collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River.

- April 01, 1928
- Collections - Artifact
Rocks Village Toll House in East Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1928
This photograph shows the Rocks Village Toll House located near Haverhill, Massachusetts. Just as private ferry operators carried early travelers across rivers, many early bridges were built and operated as private businesses, and travelers paid tolls to cross them. Workers at this toll house collected fares for a bridge across the Merrimack River.