Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-12-18
BLACK RIVER RAILROAD.
A Description of this Windsor County
Enterprise.
Together with the History and the Re
sources of the valley.
special correspondcncp Of the rhmnlx

Special correspondence Of the Phoenix
Black River valley is not only one Of the
most beautiful valleys in eastern Vermont,
but Just now it is centre of interest on
account of the movement which IS now
being actively made from the construction
through the valley of the Black River
railroad. Within the last few months a
"boom'' has apparently struck the valley
Ludlow has Just raised funds for a $50, 600
wooden mill. The capacity of the wooden
mill at Proctorsville has just about been
doubled. several houses built, new streets
are now being laid out and the prospect is
good for building quite number of houses
the coming season. 1t is said that Gay
Bros. at Cavcndi>h intend putting in more
machinery and increasing their business.
During the past summer Springfield has
put in electric lights, and j, now building
large hotel (IIotel Brown. The first
story is to be devoted to stores. offices and
the like. and the whole building is said to
be already rented.
At present there is not only good deal
of local but "A general interest in the pros
pectiye Black River railroad. which. as al
/
from some point on the Rutland railroad
in the town of Cayendish through Wealth
crsiirld and Springfield to connect with the
Concord IL Clarcmont railroad at or near
ClaremOnt Junction. y. II. When the Rut-
land railroad was built there was talk of
building the road from Bellows Falls up to
CharlestOwn, y. H.. thence across the
Connecticut river to Springfield, and from
there up the present route To CayendiSh,
but then there were few men of wealth
and influence on this line. and So the greater
influence and deeper pockets of Nathaniel
Fullerton. Hugh Henry, and others, carried
the road up through Chester
Since the road from Claremont, y. H.,
to Concord was built, there ha, been more
or less talk of connecting road from
either Gas,ett'> Station or CayendiSh on
the Rutland road. with the idea that this
would lee an important line i'm a through
line from Boston and Portland To- the West,
and so the people in this section have
watched with eager interest the moves of
the several railroad companies on this part
of the New England railroad checker
| board Some II or - years ago com
pany was organized and a partial survey
made of the route from Gassett', Station to
/ Claremont, but while il promised much
/ after awhile the interest i'm the Undertaking
| died out. mainly from lack of interest in
/ the enterprise hy the railroads with which
| it was to connect. About two years ago a
/ very thorough survey of this route was
/ made bv a competent New York engineer,
who pronounced this route to be practical
| and feasible. 1t was supposed that the
! Delaware Il Hudson River railroad was
anxious that the road should be built. in
Il,
into sections of Maine, Massachusetts, and
New Hampshire without paying too much
tribute to other roads, but another move
on the railroad managers dispelled this
hope.
The subject of railroad through this
section has not been allowed to die out,
| however At the recent extra session of
the legislature. an act of incorporation was
| granted the Black River railroad company,
| and i'm accordance Herewith survey is
now being made under the superintendent
of Col. George \. Aver, an engineer who
! has been much intthe employ of the late
GOV. Smith. \ stock book was opened
and the company was organized AT Spring
field on the Both of November, when these
directors were chosen: Hon. Adna Brown,
Col. w. II. II. Slack Springfield; G. Ans
den, f. |. Call, NJ. G.. Robinson, Weather
field: d. c. Pollard, Uriah Russell, Caven-
dish; Geo. IL. Stowell. Claremont, y. II.
Geo. A. Aver st. Albans; clerk, f. c,
Davis. At a subsequent meeting Adna
Brown was chosen president: Chas. Ans
den, vice president; Daniel o. Gin, treas
urer: w. II. II. Slack, +. /. Call Geo. A
Aver and Don {. Pollard executive com
mittee; \. Burbank, Henry \. Fletcher
and Fred G. Field auditors.
The Route of the Road.
The survey begins at or near the cas-
end of the railroad bridge in the village o
ProctOrsvillr, on the south side of Blacl
river, and runs through the village Of Cav
endish south of the river, then on tn
/, north side of Hawks mountain huggini
the mountain, then. turning southcrly, b.
the east end of the mountain through tn
village of Porkinsyille. From PcrkinSvill
to North Springfield two surveys are bein
made, one near the old survey made b.
Hyren Henry, and the other from Perkins
vile over past the burrows farm to Blacl
river and then down the river, crossing a
or near the saw and grst mills at Mort
Springfield. What course the route wi
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