The rail crossing of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

(

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

) at this location originates from the

Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900. The main l ...

. The V&MRR was chartered in 1844 and completed an extension between Millers Falls, Massachusetts and

Brattleboro, Vermont Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a New England town, town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located about north of the Massachusetts state line at the confluence of Vermont's West River (Vermont), West River and the Connec ...

by 1850.

Alvah Crocker Alvah Crocker (October 14, 1801 – December 26, 1874) was an American manufacturer and railroad promoter. He served in the Massachusetts General Court and was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Biography Born in Leominster, Massachus ...

, a paper and railroad magnate and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

, was the first president of the V&MRR. Initially, the V&MRR was operated by Crocker's

Fitchburg Railroad The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900. The main l ...

. This rail bridge was used by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's Vermonter passenger service until December 2014.

Notes

References

General references

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

Warwick, Massachusetts-New Hampshire-Vermont Quadrangle Map, March 1894, reprinted October 1915
Historic USGS Maps of New England & New York
, University of New Hampshire Library Digital Collections Initiative. Bridges over the Connecticut River Railroad bridges in Massachusetts Bridges in Franklin County, Massachusetts Boston and Maine Railroad Bridges completed in 1903 Metal bridges in the United States Truss bridges in the United States 1903 establishments in Massachusetts {{Massachusetts-bridge-struct-stub