 The roads of the southern half of modern VT 14 were improved at the beginning of the 19th century as various privately owned turnpikes . The oldest of these was the White River Turnpike , which was chartered on November 1 , 1800 . The road was to run 21 miles ( 34 km ) from the mouth of the White River to the point where it was joined by the Second Branch of the White River , and connected the settlements of White River Junction , Sharon , and Royalton . The toll road was in operation for 52 years . By the end of this period , receipts from the road had become very small due to the recent opening in 1850 , along the same path as the turnpike , of a new railway line of the Vermont Central Railroad . 
