Along the Valley Line. Max R. Miller
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in Middletown would make another dog famous. S.B. Chafee’s Nero, a 150-pound Newfoundland, was only eight months old when he lost part of his tail in a Valley Line train accident. S.B. Chafee was the owner of Chafee’s Tavern on Main Street, Middletown and he brought Nero to work with him most days. Nero became famous for being hit by a train and surviving, but also because he was intelligent, and passing children often stopped to pet him. On August 9, 1893 Nero died after surgery to remove a large tumor from his jaw. He was eight years old. Mr. Chafee had Nero interred in his plot at the Indian Hill Cemetery.
Private Residence, n.d. A northerly view of a private residence that was the first CVRR station and taken after 1911, as the present Air Line Connecticut River bridge is seen in the right background. It has been recorded that Benedict Arnold’s children were staying in this building when he turned traitor during the Revolutionary War. COLLECTION OF THE AUTHOR.
Middletown, 1885. A northerly view of the Union Depot at Middletown in late 1885. The Middletown Horse Railroad trolley, which started operation in September 1885, waits beside the new passenger platform that served the Valley Line. By Dec. 12, 1885 a new track had been laid on the left side of this platform for the Berlin Branch trains to use. PHOTO: MOORE’S OF MIDDLETOWN, COURTESY CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Union Depot at Middletown, June 26, 1929. This southerly view of the station shows northbound gas-electric car No. 9105 beside signal tower F-279. The car was nearing the end of its one-round-trip-per-day commuter service between Middletown and Hartford. Service ended on September 23, 1933. PHOTO: BENTON & DRAKE, COLLECTION OF C. B. MCCOID.
Middletown’s Union Station was permanently closed on November 9, 1939 and its demolition was completed on June 21, 1940. The railroad terminated passenger service because of its bankruptcy, and the Great Depression. Many stations and structures were razed at this time in order to reduce local taxes and maintenance costs.
On Wednesday March 22, 1872, the team of CVRR directors located the depot for Middle Haddam in the Maromas section of Middletown followed by Higganum. At Haddam they postponed their decision until Thursday. Next they located a passenger depot on the west side of the right of way and a freight depot on the east side opposite Goodspeed’s Landing. Haddam pitched in $40,000 of stock, an investment that covered Higganum and Goodspeed. Haddam citizens also bought an additional $26,000 worth.
GOODSPEED
The team located the Goodspeed passenger station on the west side of the tracks north of Bridge Street (Route 82) in the Tylerville section Haddam. The freight house was positioned across the track. The first passenger station was a two-story building destroyed by a dynamite explosion during a night robbery on February 5, 1897. The second floor had living quarters first used by railroad employees and later by employees of Goodspeed ferry that crossed the Connecticut River at this point. The second passenger station, a one-story building that also housed the Tylerville post office opened in April 1897 at the same location. Goodspeed station marked the end of another infamous chase; this one also involves a dog.
In 1873, a brindle mutt (part Greyhound) belonging to H.C. Moxon of Chester watched his master board a northbound train. The dog decided to follow the train that carried his best friend and kept up with the train until it reached the long, high trestle that spanned Clarks Creek and the surrounding marshland in Haddam. This caused the dog to make a lengthy detour. As the train was leaving Goodspeed Station the dog was sighted still in pursuit, but he gave up the chase when the train disappeared. It was the opinion of those who watched the race from the rear of the train that the dog would have overtaken the train if he didn’t have to find an alternative route because of the trestle.
The railroad renamed the station “East Haddam and Moodus” effective February 14, 1912. It was razed in August 1939. The freight house agent continued operations after the end of passenger service. Next the freight house became the Yantic Feed Company store. Following this Tom Worthley converted it to an outdoor sporting goods store called The Beaten Path. Today Kris and Ann Marie Pszczolkowski operate a gift shop, Goodspeed’s Station Country Store, in the former freight house.
Clarks Creek, n. d. View is from the west to the east of Clarks Creek trestle in Haddam, three-quarters of a mile south of Goodspeed station, which was replaced by a concrete arch culvert and an earth fill in 1909. Today, this point of the line is called “Broadway.” COURTESY HAROLD DAHLSTROM COLLECTION.
Goodspeed Station, n. d. Looking over the idle steam-powered ferryboat and across the frozen Connecticut River from a point just south of the Goodspeed Opera House. This photo predates the February 5, 1897 fire that destroyed the original two-story Goodspeed railroad station shown at the left center of the photo. COURTESY CAMP BETHEL HISTORICAL CENTER, F. THOMAS BECKWITH COLLECTION.
Second Goodspeed Station, n.d. View is toward the northwest of the station and was taken before February 14, 1912 when the name was officially changed to East Haddam & Moodus. This building was opened for service in April 1897. COURTESY CAMP BETHEL HISTORICAL CENTER, F. THOMAS BECKWITH COLLECTION.
Roland R. Tyler, n.d. Station Agent Roland R. Tyler rests his feet while he reads in his cluttered office at the Goodspeed Station. Mr. Tyler died on May 5, 1920. COURTESY CAMP BETHEL HISTORICAL CENTER, F. THOMAS BECKWITH COLLECTION.
Interior Goodspeed Station, n.d. A view of the station agent’s room, ticket window and Tylerville Post Office from within the waiting room. In the center is the payphone with its kerosene lamp for light. The potbelly coal stove at right has a shield over its upper portion. This is the interior of the second Goodspeed Station that was opened for service in April 1897 after the first station was destroyed by fire on February 5, 1897. COURTESY CAMP BETHEL HISTORICAL CENTER, F. THOMAS BECKWITH COLLECTION.
HIGGANUM
Higganum station for both passenger and freight was on the west side of the tracks situated on the north side at the last curve on Depot Road. A 28-foot addition was added on the north end of the building in May 1881. This one-story building (page 27) was razed after it was badly damaged by fire on August 27, 1966.
MAROMAS
Maromas Station was a two-story building on the west side of the tracks located near the present Middletown jet engine plant of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. The second floor contained living space usually occupied by railroad employees.
Benvenue Station was a small one-story building on the east side of the tracks near the present electric generating plant at Maromas. It became Laurel Station on August 12, 1914 and was originally built to serve workers of the granite quarries nearby. In 1914 there were nine houses and a 60-room resort hotel in this area.
Higganum Station, June 17, 1929. This photo of the rear side of the station shows the roof in its original configuration. Most of the roof overhang had been removed by the time it was partially destroyed by fire on August 27, 1966. COLLECTION OF NEW HAVEN RAILROAD HISTORICAL & TECHNICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.