Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-26
The BratHeborO & Whitehall R. R.
HISTORY or THE ENTERPRISE

A GLANCE AT THE VARIOUS STEPS, MOVEMENTS
AND IMPORTS WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN THE
ROADS CONSTRUCTION, FINAL COMPLETION,
AND SUCCESSFUL OPENING TO BUSINESS.
At the present time, just as the Brattleboro
and Whitehall railroad has been completed
and opened TO regular business, a brief look
at the history of this enterprise, with notes
of the successive steps which have led to its
beginning and completion, may not be with
out general interest Ouriously enough, the
project of a railroad up the valley of the
West River was associated with the original
movement toward the connection of the Con
necticut valley with Lake Champlain by rail.
The first charter granted by our Vermont Leg
islature looking toward such connection was
for the "Champlain and Connecticut River
railroad" the object of which was the con-
struction of railroad from some point on tho
Connecticut river, in Windham or Windsor
counties, to Burlington. At that time, 1S43
the Fitchburg railroad had been built from Bos.
ton to Fitchburg and the purpose was TO get
a connection with that road either through
southwestern New Hampshire or southeastern
Vermont For some time the Legislature Of
New Hampshire refused to grant railroad
charters, and it not being possible, for this
reason to build through New Hampshire, the
idea was to build a road from Fitchburg to
the Vermont line, thence to Brattleboro, and
from Bmttleboro up the West River TO its
headwaters and over the summit or divide to
East Wallingford, striking what is the pres
ent line of the Rutland and Burlington road
survey for this road was actually made,
tradition relating that the engineer ran his
line straight up the valley, turning, fgura-
lively speaking, neither to the right nor the
left, and crossing the river at many places.
This survey also contemplated tho boring Of
tunnel hnlf-mile long through the noun
tain at Weston. Before this project took
definite shape, however the Cheshire rail.
road was chartered through New Hampshire
and the Rutland and Burlington road was
built, putting an end for the time being to
any idea of a railroad up the West River val
ley.
The next step, an the first really definite
one towards such project, was the granting
by the Legislature of 1851 of charter for
the "wantastiquot railroad company" This
road was to run from Brattleboro up through
the West River valley to Londonderry and
thence Through Landgrove, Peru and Mt
Tabor, to connect with the Western Vermont
railroad in the towns of Dandy or Walling
ford, or from Londonderry through Weston
to connect with the Rutland and Burlington
railroad in Mt. Holly, or from Weston through
A H.. a.. IA II
Burlington railroad in Ludlow" The bill for
this charter was drawn and introduced by
the late CbRs. X. Field, then a member of
the House from Newfane. Under this char
ter, however, no corporate action was ever
| taken.
In 1867 the legislature granted a charter for
the West River railroad" tho bill for the
charter being drawn and introduced by Hon
II. II. Wheeler, who then represented the
town of Jamaica in the legislature. This
charter contemplated the construction Of u
standard-gauge road from BrattlebOro to
Jamaica. The legislature of 1867 refused to
pass al act enabling towns TO bond in aid of
this road but in 1868 an enabling act was
| passed, and under this act the towns of Jam
aica, Townshend aud Nowfane very soon bond.
ed in aid of the road to the amount of eight
times their respective grand lists. February
9th, 1870, formal organization OF the West
River railroad corporation WAS effected at
jamaica but, owing to the estimated high
cost Of tho road and the lack of sufficient
funds, the enterprise still remained in EN-
bryo although various attempts were made
to put it on its feet. In connection with one
of these efforts, in 1873, Robert L. Harris
made survey of the line. 1t should also be
said that in 1865, under this charter, julius
Fem, a well known civil engineer, made a
survey Of tho line. In 500 an act was pass
ed authorizing the company to extend its road
through the town of Vernon to the Massachu-
sets line, on condition that the whole Of the
road should be built In 1872 an act was passed
extending for ten years the prescribed time for
the beginning and completion of the road
But in spite of the efforts here referred to
to give it life, the project lay in a practically
dormant condition in the years from 1870 to
1876, apparently insurmountabe obstacles
standing in the way because of the estimated
high cost Of the road. During these years,
however, the narrow gauge system of rail
roads had begun to come into prominence,
and in the last-named year several friends Of
the enterprise conceived the idea that, by
adopting the three-foot gauge and securing
the right TO build through to Whitehall, N
Y, the cost might be lessened, and, at the
same time, such an increasedAInount of pee an
larry help might be secured that it would be
possible to secure the construction of the road
With these ideas in view, an amendment of
the charter was secured from the Legislature
| of 1876, changing the name Of the West Riv-
er railroad company to the Brattleboro d
Whitehall railroad company, extending all
acts and provisions relating to the company
for term of six years, and authorizing the
company to extend its railroad through the
towns of Londonderry, WinhAll, Landgrove
Peru, etc., to Whitehall. Towns were auth
orized to aid in the construction of this road
under the general railroad law, and the towns
of Jamaica, Townshend and Newfane were
authorized by the act TO transfer to the Brat
tleboro i Whitehall railroad company the aid
voted by them to the West River railroad
company.
After the passage of these amendments ao-
tive efforts were at once begun to secure the
construction of the road through to White
hall, and for a time everything promised
well. February LIST, 1877, at a meeting held in
Brattleboro under the auspices Of the board of
commissioners named in the charter of 1867, a
board of directors of the Brattleboro q White
hall railroad company was elected, and at a
subsequent meeting, held at Fayetteville, this
board organized by the choice of G. +. Thomp-
son as president and j. A. Butler as clerk.
G. F, Thompson, F. Goodhue and j. L. Mar
tin were made an executive committee, aud
the general management of the enterprise was
vested in their hands. Whitehall capitalists
professed great anxiety to have the road built,
| tbara xyara % fro,,,