THE WEST RIVER RAILROAD MUSEUM
A Brattleboro Words Trail Site
The West River Railroad Museum & J.J. Green’s Diary:
Newfane, VT
The Diary of J.J. Green: A Daily Record of the Year 1885 by a Stationmaster on the West River Railroad
What remains of the West River Railroad is a quiet building in Newfane, the Old Depot, lovingly restored in recent years by The Historical Society of Windham County. The railroad was completed in 1880 and ran until 1936, known locally as “the 36 miles of trouble” due to frequent wrecks, derailments, or track disruptions due to the forces of nature.
We have an especially intimate window onto the woes of the West River Railroad—and the nitty gritty details of everyday life at the time—thanks to the 1885 diary of J.J. Green, a stationmaster and prominent Newfane citizen who died in the infamous “Wreck At Three Bridges” that very year. To buy the book online visit the website of The Historical Society of Windham County.
A Train on the West River Railroad
A train crossing the West River on a railroad bridge.
The West River Railroad 1907
The West River Railroad in West Dummerston, 1907.
Site research in progress. Check back soon for more of the story.
On The Map
The West River Railroad Museum
Cemetery Hill Rd, Newfane, VT 05345
West River Railroad Museum
About the Research sites
The Brattleboro Words Project is working with the community to identify specific sites and themes significant to the study of words in Brattleboro and surrounding towns. Research Teams – classrooms/teachers, amateur historians, veterans, writers, artists and other community members — will produce audio segments and other work to be incorporated into audio walking, biking and driving tours tours.
