In Middle Tennessee, toll roads were officially called turnpikes, but 'pike' was & is the common usage . The pike was a reference to the pole that blocked the road at toll points. Tollroads were private ventures commissioned by the State of Tennessee. The soil in this area turns into a goo when wet. There is a scientific reason for that, take my word for it, the slick as grease, bottomless, clinging nature of our heavy clay mud is impossible to exaggerate. In response to that, Macadamized turnpikes were constructed.
The McAdamized Nashville-Murfreesboro-Shelbyville Pike, in its modern form is still a straight road following the original roadbed.
In 1860-65, it was the equivalent of a four lane interstate highway.
Compared with the wandering game trail, cow paths that shunpikers followed, it was a wonder of the world.
Scottish engineer John McAdam pioneered the use of angular crushed stones of a singe sized compacted in layers for road construction. Those of you who live in states with farm to market gravel roads will recognize how McAdam's insight revolutionized all weather cross country movement. During Rosecrans' advance from Nashville toward Murfreesboro on December 26, 1862 one axis was on the Macadamized Nashville Pike & the on the dirt Nolensville Pike.
The Battle of Stones River was focused around control of the Nashville Pike for the simple reason that it was a wet weather road. Thomas' wing of the 14th Army Corps was bogged down for days, advancing five miles at a time because of the muddy road. The roads that
shunpikers (People who went round about to avoid tolls.) used were all but impassible during wet weather. So, controlling the pikes was essential.
To directly answer the question about how ubiquitous pikes [tollroads] were, here are the names of pikes in the Nashville & Murfreesboro/ Davidson County / Rutherford County area: Nolensville, Brick Church, Salem, Nashville -Murfreesboro-Shelbyville, Franklin, Smith Springs, Liberty, Louisville-Nashville, White's Creek, Gallatin, Porter, Richland, Nashville & Portland, Mill Creek Valley, Lebanon, Stewart's Ferry, Louisville & Nashville Branch, Nashville & Hillsboro, Franklin College & Stones River, Hyde's Ferry, Buena Vista, Granny White, Owen & Winstead, Dry Fork & Vaughn Turnpikes.
<nashvillehistory.blogspot.com>Turnpikes & Bridges in Davison County, Tennessee.
Armies did not pay tolls.
The very modern looking suspension Toll Bridge over the Cumberland River between Nashville & Edgefield.
The retreating CS army destroyed it in 1862, much to the annoyance of local residents.
Thanks for asking this question. Many "Pikes" still have their historic names here in Middle Tennessee. I knew there were a lot of them, but had no idea how many there really were.