Taunton Branch Railroad
Encyclopedia
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It was chartered by the state in 1835 as a branch of the Boston and Providence Railroad (which opened in 1835) running between Mansfield
Mansfield, Massachusetts
Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....
and Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
. The railroad provided a rapid overland connection between the seat of Bristol County
Bristol County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Origins
The Taunton Branch Railroad opened for business in 1836. The overall length of the railroad was about 11.5 miles. Thomas B. Wales served as the company's first president.In 1840 the Taunton Branch Railroad was extended to New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
by the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad
New Bedford and Taunton Railroad
The New Bedford and Taunton Railroad was originally incorporated at the Old Colony Railroad Corporation in 1838 as an extension of the Taunton Branch Railroad between Taunton, Massachusetts and New Bedford. The name was changed to New Bedford and Taunton Railroad in 1839 before service began in 1840...
, providing Taunton with a direct link to the whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
port city.
The railroad opened up new markets for Taunton's a notable ironmaking industry, and would lead to the rapid development of new businesses in the coming decades.
In 1845 another branch, known as the Fall River Branch Railroad
Fall River Branch Railroad
The Fall River Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1844 providing a rail link from the emerging textile town of Fall River to the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad at Myricks Junction. It began operating in 1845 with 12 miles of track...
, would be built between Myricks and the emerging textile town of Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. However, in 1846, Fall River trains would bypass Taunton and the Boston & Providence main line with the opening of their own connection, renamed the Fall River Railroad
Fall River Railroad (1846)
The Fall River Railroad was incorporated in 1846 as a merger between the Fall River Branch Railroad, the Middleborough Railroad Corportation and the Randolph & Bridgewater Railroad Corportation...
through Middleborough
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts....
and Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
to the Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
at South Braintree.
Expansion
In 1856, the Middleboro and Taunton Railroad was opened between Weir VillageWeir Village, Massachusetts
Weir Village is a village of the city of Taunton in Bristol County, Massachusetts, located about one mile south of the city center on the banks of the Taunton River, near the point where it becomes tidal...
and the Cape Cod Railroad
Cape Cod Railroad
The Cape Cod Railroad was a railroad in southeastern Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 as the Cape Cod Branch Railroad to provide a rail link from Fall River Railroad line in Middleborough to Cape Cod...
at Middleborough.
In 1870, an extension of the original Taunton Branch Railroad was opened between Mansfield
Mansfield, Massachusetts
Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....
and Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, known as the Mansfield and Framingham Railroad
Mansfield and Framingham Railroad
The Mansfield and Framingham Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1862 as the Foxborough Branch Railroad to provide a rail connection from Mansfield through Foxborough to Walpole...
, and leased by the adjoining Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad (BC&F).
In 1871, the Taunton Railroad built a new connection to Attleboro
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...
, providing a shortcut to Providence.
On February 2, 1874, the Taunton Branch Railroad was merged into the New Bedford Railroad
New Bedford Railroad
The New Bedford Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1873 as a merger between New Bedford and Taunton Railroad, the Taunton Branch Railroad and the Middleborough and Taunton Railroad....
. The following year, the BC&F began leasing the New Beford's line. The two companies would them merge in 1876 to become the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
The Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was formed in 1876 as a consolidation of the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad with the New Bedford Railroad....
.
In 1879 the Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
leased the combined company, merging it into itself in 1883.
Today
The southern portion of the original Taunton Branch Railroad northeast of downtown Taunton is part of the CSX TransportationCSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
freight network, along with the original extensions to New Bedford and Fall River. The CSX lines connect to an extension with Attleboro
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...
that was built in 1871 as a shortcut between Taunton and Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Much of the original northern portion of the Taunton Branch Railroad has been abandoned, with the northernmost section between Mansfield Center and the Mansfield Airport having been converted to a bike path.
See also
- Taunton Locomotive Manufacturing CompanyTaunton Locomotive Manufacturing CompanyThe Taunton Locomotive Manufacturing Company was one of the earliest firms in the United States established especially for the manufacture of steam locomotives. Located in Taunton, Massachusetts, the company was organized in 1849 and incorporated the following year by William A. Crocker, Willard W....
- New York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadNew York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadThe New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...