USA > New Hampshire > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 8
USA > Vermont > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 8
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FIRST RAILROADS BUILT INTO BELLOWS FALLS AND IN VERMONT
One of the earliest efforts to create public sentiment in Vermont favorable to the building of railroads orig- inated in Bellows Falls in the summer of 1843. Dr. S. M. Blake, then editor of the Bellows Falls Gazette, was very enthusiastic and devoted much space to the subject. The result was a largely attended railroad meeting here early in 1844.
Hon. Alvah Crocker of Fitchburg, Mass., had just returned from Europe and was full of enthusiasm and railroad enterprise. He was present at this meeting and greatly assisted in explaining the operation and results of railroads already built in other countries and states. At this meeting all railroads now running in this part of the state, including the West River railroad, which was not built until during the '70s, were projected and discussed.
The first charter of the Vermont Central Railroad Company was granted by Legislature November 15, 1835, and the revised charter, under which the road was built, was passed October 31, 1843. January 8, 1844, a largely attended railroad convention was held at Montpelier that resulted in the raising of money for the surveys, and later in raising the required stock for the first railroad to be built in Vermont. The contract to build the entire road from Windsor to Burlington, 115 miles, was let to Sewal F. Belknap. The first rail was laid at White River Junction on the farm of Col. Samuel Nutt early in 1847, and Isaac B. Culver, assistant engineer of that division,
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was accorded the honor of driving the first spike in the track of this road.
A regular passenger train first passed over the road from White River Junction to Bethel June 26, 1848, and this was the first railroad train for carrying passengers that was run in Vermont.
The first railroad to reach Bellows Falls was the Cheshire Railroad, now the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine. This corporation was chartered by the New Hampshire Legislature December 27, 1844, and the Sullivan County Railroad from here to Windsor was chartered by the same state July 10, 1846.
The first train of excursionists from Boston, Fitch- burg, Keene and other points, reached here January 1, 1849, and went as far north as Charlestown on the line of the Sullivan Railroad. This train did not cross the river into Vermont at all, the railroad bridge not being built over the Connecticut river until a year or two later. There were great demonstrations of joy all along the route. Following is the quaint account of the event contained in the Bellows Falls Gazette of January 4, 1849 :
"THE CARS HAVE COME!
"On Monday, January 1, much to the astonishment of some, and gratification of all, the first train of cars ever seen in this vicinity passed over the Cheshire road and Sullivan to Charlestown, N. H. The day was fine and a great assembly of people had collected here to witness the grand entree of the Iron Horse. The engine came up in grand style and when opposite our village, the monster gave one of its most savage yells, frighten- ing men, women and children considerably, and bringing forth the most deafening howls from all the dogs in the
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neighborhood. This day, Thursday, the Sullivan road is to be opened with the usual ceremonies, to Charlestown, and then the arrival of the cars will be a common every- day business affair."
The road was opened through from Charlestown to Windsor March 31 of that year. The first passenger conductors on the Sullivan road were O. J. Brown of Claremont, who had been many years a stage driver, and Ambrose Arnold of Westminster, who many years later became superintendent of the Vermont Central Railroad.
The first work in the construction of the "Cham- plain & Connecticut Railroad," chartered November 1, 1843, now the Rutland Railroad, was done at Bellows Falls during the month of February, 1847. They began laying the rails from Bellows Falls April 15, 1849, and the road was opened through to Burlington December 18th of the same year. A. P. Crossett, then a resident of Bellows Falls, often said that he moved the first three wheelbarrow loads of dirt in its construction, on the island on which the station now stands. He was a laborer then for Judge Horace Baxter, who lived on the island and had the contract for building a number of miles at this end of the line.
There was much rivalry between the Vermont Cen- tral via Montpelier, and the Rutland road, to see which road would complete its line into Burlington first. The Central was successful, that line being opened for busi- ness June 20, 1849.
Although the Vermont Valley Railroad between here and Brattleboro was chartered November 8, 1841, it was not opened for business until June, 1851. For many years the general offices of this company, as well
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as the only machine shop on the line, was in Bellows Falls. The machine shop was located "under the hill" near where the Claremont Paper Company's mill is at the present time. Superintendent Peyton R. Chandler, and later Madison Sloat, had their headquarters here, and neither the locomotives or trains went north of here, but all had to "change cars" at Bellows Falls. In 1854 only one passenger conductor was on the run between here and Brattleboro and his name was Deming. The headquarters of the Sullivan Railroad were at Charles- town and the first superintendent was Edward Thomp- son. There was a big engine house and repair shop on the west side of the railroad, just south of the present station, both of which buildings remained there until very recent years, in a dilapidated condition.
In the building of the railroads in this section of New England the laborers were mostly emigrants from Ireland. As some came from the northern part of that country, and some from the southern part, the citizens of which two sections then, as in all years since, were at eternal enmity with each other, many conflicts occurred and a number of fatal clashes resulted between them as they worked on the railroads.
In the building of the Sullivan Railroad through the village of North Walpole, across the river from here, the section from south of "Governor's Brook" to the north end of the Cheshire Railroad, which is near the crossing above the present engine house, was built under a foreman named Thompson. The Grandfield Brothers were in charge of the next section south, the first one on the Cheshire road, the two being built at the same time.
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These were both built entirely by Irish emigrants and, by a mischance, from different counties in the old country. Desperate fights occurred between these two factions at different times while the work was in progress. Some blood was shed, and it was currently reported that the results were in one or two instances fatal to the belligerents. At one time all the men working for the Grandfields were driven from their homes in the tem- porary shanties by the men of the northern section, and, with their families, sought shelter on "Fall Mountain," as it was then called.
The work on Thompson's section did not progress rapidly because the deep cut through the ledge east of the falls was of a peculiarly hard character, and the drift was in such direction that the powder used in those days would blow out only a small portion at a time. It was said to be by far the hardest piece of road to build in this vicinity. Thompson was succeeded by the Larkin Brothers, but still the work lagged and was behind. The Cheshire road was completed and the Sullivan Railroad lacked only this section to connect the two roads in the winter of 1848-9.
Work had just commenced on a deep sand cut in the hill on the terrace later occupied by A. F. Nims. The high sand hill on the west side of the track, cor- responding with the Nims terrace, has since been re- moved. Sewal F. Belknap was the head contractor of the Sullivan road, over the Larkin Bros., and he at- tempted to take matters into his own hands. Whether it was a disagreement as to pay or hours of work is un- known, but he went to Boston and brought a train-load of men to take the places of those who had been employed.
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On the morning that the train-load of men arrived. the Larkins and their men appeared all dressed in their best suits, but bare-headed, coatless and with their sleeves rolled up above their elbows. The women joined them in holiday caps and aprons each carrying a long white stocking filled with cobble stones. The hill where the work was stopped then extended west of the highway. Along the brink of the deep gash they had made in its side these men and women quietly took their places. Mr. Belknap marched his recruits from the end of the Cheshire line to the cut, drew a sword cane and walked into the pit saying to the men, "Go to work, my boys." A deep voice from the bank above answered him, "Be- jabers, the first man who strikes a blow is a dead man sure." None of the workmen would face this challenge and follow Belknap, so he was obliged to walk out of the pit as he had walked into it, alone. The men from Massachusetts demanded that they be taken back, claim- ing misrepresentation. An agreement was reached whereby the Larkins relinquished their contract from that time, and the work went forward. Fifty teams were put on and the cut and the fill near by were rapidly completed.
In the town of Newbury at about this time work was being done on what was known as the Ingalls Hill, on the Passumpsic Railroad. Irishmen from both Cork and Connaught counties were employed and frequent riots occurred. The former were called "Corkonians" and the latter "Fardowners." The Connaught men had been there some time when a large party of the Cork men, who had been constructing the Northern Railroad, came up and soon there was trouble. Michael Kelley,
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a foreman for the road, was shot and killed. Some of the rioters were sent to State's Prison, but as it could not be proved which one fired the fatal shot no death penalty was imposed. However for months there were collisions between the workmen from the north and south parts of Ireland.
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RACING RAILROAD TRAINS ON THE OLD VER- MONT VALLEY AND CHESHIRE ROADS
The Vermont Valley Railroad between here and Brattleboro was built during 1850 and 1851, the first passenger train over the road reaching Bellows Falls early in June of the latter year, regular service between the two villages dating from then. The first conductors were P. R. Chandler and R. A. Deming. For some months trains had been run from South Vernon to Bellows Falls by way of the Ashuelot line and Keene. The day the first passenger train ran between the two villages direct it was a question whether the trip could be made as quickly by way of Keene as by way of Put- ney, and there was some strife. An interesting com- munication has recently come to light written by a passenger on this first train, which followed the Con- necticut river, who was evidently familiar with the con- ditions and men on each train. He wrote :
"Our old friend Briggs, of the Connecticut River road, who always keeps his 'eye skinned,' undertook to play us a bit of a trick and show us that 'some things could be done as well as others.' Having a few min- utes the start at South Vernon, he whipped up his 'old hoss' around through Keene and over the summit, and when he came in sight of the Cheshire, as it approached the river, behold! there he was, gliding swiftly and noiselessly like a serpent among the hills toward Walpole. Our Valley Nag, wholly unsuspicious of what was going on, was trotting along at a rate of about 40 miles the hour, and admiring the beautiful scenery of the river till, on arriving opposite Walpole, where the roads approach the river, the Cheshire train was seen shooting along at lightning speed for Bellows Falls. Some pre-
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tend they could see our friend B .- impatient at the slow progress of the engine-flying along, John Gilpin-like, hat off and tails streaming ahead of it; at any rate, it appears to be well authenticated (which lends some probability to the story) that he actually got to Bellows Falls some time before his hat, which came sailing along after him. It is undeniable, however, that friend B. 'won the hat,' for he did reach Bellows Falls as soon as we, though going around by Keene; and it may be observed of him generally that it is much easier to follow than to lead him. From Walpole the roads are parallel with each other and near the river, and it was a pretty sight to see the cars on either side, gliding along the road, now concealed for a moment by the hills, or a grove of trees, and again running on the side of a hill, with the long train of cars around and after the engines like two huge anacondas on a race and striving for victory."
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RUTLAND RAILROAD SOLD FOR $22 IN 1855- EARLY CONDUCTORS AND STAGE DRIVERS- "FLYING SWITCHES," A DANGEROUS PRAC- TICE OF EARLY RAILROADING
Early in the history of the Rutland & Burlington Railroad the corporation became financially embarrassed, and in January, 1855, Sheriff George Slate of this village sold at auction here 22,000 shares of the stock of the cor- poration for $22, it being at the rate of one mill a share of $100 face value. The purchasers of the road at this price were William Henry, who was president of the old Bellows Falls bank and later a member of Congress from this district; Jabez D. Bridgeman, a prominent local attorney; and Peyton R. Chandler, who was super- intendent of the Vermont Valley Railroad between here and Brattleboro. They became owners and directors of the corporation. They managed it but a short time when a thorough reorganization was effected. In January, 1855, this road was running only one train each way. It came down from Rutland in the morning and returned at night.
The first passenger conductors of the road between here and Rutland were the late Josiah Bowtell and Daniel Arms of Bellows Falls both of whom had been engaged in staging along the line previous to the con- struction of the road. Elisha P. Reed and Henry H. Howe were other of the earlier conductors residing here. Mr. Bowtell was the last of the old conductors to pass away May 8, 1890. The oldest engineer was Albert Pratt, who until 1903 was still running a passenger loco-
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motive between here and Rutland, and who died that year. Charles C. Caldwell began service on trains of the Rutland road in the spring of 1858, and died in Bellows Falls November 26, 1905, having been in railroad service during the entire time.
A peculiar, and seemingly very hazardous, practice 50 years ago in the handling of passenger trains at White River Junction and Bellows Falls was the practice of making "flying switches," as they were called, in entering the railroad yards at the two stations. At White River Junction, passenger trains coming in from all four directions, while running at high speed, would be cut apart a half mile or more before reaching the station and each car with a brakeman on the front would run to the station by its own momentum, each section sep- arated a short distance to allow the switchman to throw the switches. When the different cars of the train came to a standstill they would be on different tracks to start out over the different divisions.
At Bellows Falls this was done only by trains from the north and from Boston, owing to the construction of the yard. Often the noon mail was made up at White River Junction with the regular car that was to go over the Cheshire road between other cars that were to go down the river, and the train would be cut into three sections a mile or more north of the station. When the Cheshire car reached the yard on the Vermont side it would run down opposite the depot on the "Y," that was then there, and the Boston train would back onto it, while the cars behind would be guided on the main line and coupled to the forward part of the train to
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continue to Springfield. It was always a hazardous practice, but no serious accident ever occurred from it at either station, although it was done at a high rate of speed.
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THE FIRST TOLL BRIDGE AT BELLOWS FALLS -NATHANIEL TUCKER OWNED IT LATER
The first bridge across the Connecticut river at any point in its entire course was at Bellows Falls. It was built by Col. Enoch Hale, a prominent resident of this vicinity, in 1785. It was the only bridge across the river until 1796, when one was built at Springfield, Mass. The bridge here was one of the most noted of that early time, there being few as long in New England, and none in so wild a section of country as this. The Massachu- setts Spy of February 10, 1785, had this to say about the enterprise, "This bridge is thought to exceed any ever built in America in strength, elegance, and public utility, as it is the direct way from Boston through New Hampshire and Vermont to Canada." This old first bridge was of entirely different style of building from the present.
In the summer of 1912 the director of the Deutsches museum in Munich, Germany, with his staff, visited this country and secured several masterpieces which they considered as reproductions of the best types of those old wooden bridges, and among those that are now on exhibi- tion in that museum is the picture of this Bellows Falls bridge, reproduced from the painting of it which hangs in the Rockingham library executed by the late Fred- erick J. Blake. It was recommended and furnished by the executive officials of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as one of the most important wooden bridges in America at that early day. It was selected from among eight or nine structures, or was one of them. This list was as follows: Arch bridge over the Delaware
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at Trenton, built in 1804; Market-street bridge over the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia, built in 1805; bridge over Mill creek, Cincinnati; bridge over the Connecticut river at Bellows Falls, built in 1785; Cascade bridge at Lanesboro on the New York and Erie Railroad, built in 1848; the bridge of the Richmond and St. Petersburg Railroad (Southern Railway), over the James river at Richmond, built in 1836; the Long bridge of the Georgia and Western Atlantic Railroad; the Howe bridge of the Connecticut River Railroad (Boston & Maine), over the Chicopee river, the largest trestle bridge in the world at those early times, built in 1852, burned in 1878.
One of the most prominent citizens of Bellows Falls a century ago was a man named Nathaniel Tucker. In 1826 he came into possession of the old first toll bridge across the Connecticut river here, and in 1840 he planned and financed the erection of the present structure that has now served the public 88 years. Mr. Tucker was born in Boston in 1775 and became a resident in Bellows Falls in 1815. He died here in 1875, and his remains were interred in a private family vault on Boston Com- mon, near the Public Gardens.
The first bridge became unsafe, and in 1840 Mr. Tucker consulted a noted local bridge builder, Sanford Granger, in regard to it. Together they planned and built the present structure. Mr. Granger had built a number of important bridges and buildings in the vicin- ity of Bellows Falls, prominent among them the local Methodist church and the brick block on Westminster Street, which has always been known as the "Granger Block." He owned the saw mill and water power at North Westminster, where the Gage basket factory is
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now being operated, and at this mill the lumber for the new bridge was produced. Toll was gathered for passing these two bridges from 1785, when the first bridge was built, until the present bridge was made free by the towns of Rockingham and Westminster November 1, 1904, a period of nearly 120 years.
Previous to coming to Bellows Falls in 1815, Mr. Tucker had been in trade in New York city. During the first years of his residence here he lived in a large and beautiful residence located at the east end of the bridge on a small eminence, which was removed by the building of the railroad. It was just south of where the present locomotive roundhouse of the Boston & Maine Railroad stands. Later he owned and resided in the residence this side of the river, now known as the Hetty Green place, sometimes called by the older residents the "Tucker House."
During most of the years of his ownership of the bridges Mr. Tucker attended to the collection of the tolls himself, and one of the original boxes in which the tolls were kept is still in the family of Levi L. Wetherbee of Atkinson Street, who is one of the descendants. Mr. Tucker was a small wiry man, extremely nervous, and was often the victim of pranks by the boys who teased him. He had a son, Nathaniel, Jr., who was somewhat peculiar and erratic. He was a hunter of some note. At one time he went hunting on horse-back and in riding through the woods his gun was accidentally discharged and killed the horse. His father, when he returned home and was told of the accident, was greatly excited and shaking his cane in the young man's face exclaimed, "Nat-Nat Tucker, the next time you go hunting on
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horse-back you go afoot," much to the amusement of several bystanders.
In 1839 there was a great freshet and the frame bridge at South Charlestown, known as the Cheshire Bridge, was washed away, coming down the river whole. The old sign still remained on the front end : "Passen- gers are not to Pass Faster than a Walk." The old toll bridge was much lower than the present one and Mr. Tucker feared for its safety if the oncoming bridge came over the falls whole. Neighbors who saw Mr. Tucker that day often told of his great excitement as the bridge neared the falls, and he frantically motioned with his cane shouting to the bridge to go on the Vermont side where there was more room. As the bridge neared the dam it suddenly fell apart and passed under Mr. Tucker's bridge without harming it.
Mr. Tucker was an ardent churchman, much trou- bled at hearing profanity used. The fact that he was very brusque, and sometimes thoughtless in his reproofs, caused the boys to annoy him greatly. He was a most ardent friend of Rev. Carlton Chase, rector of Immanuel (Episcopal) church, who later became bishop of New Hampshire. Mr. Chase was with Mr. Tucker during the freshet referred to above when the water was so high. it was in danger of lifting the toll bridge off its abutments. Assisting in tying it with ropes, Rector Chase fell into the rushing rapids, nearly losing his life. A rope was quickly thrown to him, which he grasped and by which he was drawn, much exhausted, to safety.
Once each year Mr. Tucker advertised in the local newspaper that "all those from New Hampshire points who wished to attend the Christmas services at Immanuel
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Church could pass the bridge free of toll." The Christ- mas services were at that time much more extensive than at present, including illumination of buildings, open hospitality ; and, with fine music, they drew crowds from thirty miles around.
When staging times excited much competition, at one time the ordinary fare from Boston to Bellows Falls was $3.00, but for a short time even that was reduced to 25 cents. Drivers sometimes ran the bridge to get here first. One day Driver Brooks ran the bridge and was followed by Mr. Tucker to the local Stage House. He exclaimed with much heat, "You run my bridge- the fine is $2," upon which Mr. Brooks drew out his wallet and offered to pay; but Mr. Tucker turned away much calmed, saying, "Well-don't ever do it again."
Old residents never tired of telling anecdotes of the peculiarities, as well as the good qualities, of "Old Nathaniel Tucker."
At the New Hampshire end of the old toll bridge, during the first half of the last century, stood a large building known in its last years as the "Tucker Man- sion," erected previous to 1799. It was built for a hotel and known early as "The Walpole Bridge Hotel." In 1817 it was known as the "Mansion House Hotel." Soon after the latter date it became a dwelling house and was long occupied by Nathaniel Tucker, who owned the toll bridge, and the toll house also was located on the New Hampshire side of the river, just in front of it.
These buildings, with numerous outhouses, were, in their day, the most entitled to the name of "Mansion" of any in this whole region, because of their grand pro- portions, elegant surroundings of gardens, statuary, and
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decorative trees and foliage. They were a prominent feature of the landscape when the "Great Falls" were noted far and wide for their scenic beauty. Persons coming from the south to this vicinity were struck by their beauty and majestic location. They were removed when the railroad was built in 1849. The small eleva- tion upon which they stood was cut down and is now occupied by the railroad engine house, the mansion formerly standing just where the latter buildings do today. The timbers of which the old mansion were constructed were utilized in the erection of several of the dwellings this side of the river, as an era of home build- ing of large proportions immediately followed the build- ing of the railroads into this village. Mr. Tucker then purchased the brick dwelling on Church Street, now known as the "Hetty Green" house, and there spent his last years, still taking tolls at his bridge, which he had rebuilt in 1840.
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