Central New England Railroad
Central New England Railroad
This is the roadbed for a single-track railroad originally running from Hartford to Millerton constructed in 1871. In 1888 the tracks were extended to the Poughkeepsie Bridge, making it the main trunk line across the Hudson River. Passenger service ended in 1927 and freight service in 1938.
In its early days the railroad was the region's principal mode of transportation. Trains carried milk and fresh produce to market. Special picnic trains were run on Sundays for family outings. The RR telegraph lines provided townspeople with news of major events. In 1916, townsfolk gathered at the stations to hear state-by-state election returns in the close presidential race between Charles Evans Hughes and Woodrow Wilson. In 1912, the telegraph flashed the news of the sinking of the Titanic, and of the battleship Maine in 1898. The telegraph also relayed baseball game scores during the World Series.
The reminiscences of Robert E. Ashman, whose father was a CNE stationmaster for 47 years at Lakeville, Salisbury and Taconic, were published in 1972. They tell many colorful CNE anecdotes including one about the intoxicated passenger who was nailed up in an empty furniture crate and shipped by rail from Taconic to Salisbury, where he was uncrated by the Sheriff and taken to the town lockup.
Marker is on East Main Street near Cobble Road, on the left when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
