housatonic/history-index.html

MONTPELIER AND WELLS RIVER RAILROAD COMPANY

CORPORATE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF FIXED PHYSICAL PROPERTY

This company was incorporated on November 6, 1867, under a special act of Vermont, which was amended November 16, 1869, and October 13, 1870. Under a decree of the court of chancery for the county of Washington in Vermont it was reorganized January 1, 1877, as the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad.

The accounting records are not complete. The minute books and the incomplete accounting records indicate that control was held by D. R. Sortwell. The data given herein, with reference to the company, are taken from these incomplete records.

On January 1, 1877, the property was composed of a railroad from Montpelier to Wells River, 38.22 miles, and from Montpelier to Barre Transfer, 1.79 miles, a total of 40.01 miles. The road, which was built under contract, was begun about November 1, 1870, and was opened for operation in two sections on September 15 and November 24, 1873. The road was operated by its owners from September 15, 1873, to September 30, 1874; by the trustees under the mortgage to March 6, 1876, and by receivers to December 31, 1876.

BARRE BRANCH RAILROAD

Corporate history and development of fixed physical property.—This company was incorporated on June 15, 1888, under the general laws of Vermont, to build and operate a railroad from Montpelier to Barre, Vt.

Work was begun under contract in July, 1888, and the road, 3.38 miles, was opened for operation on June 1, 1889.

The property was leased to the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad for 99 years from the date of completion, June 1, 1889, for $4,800 per year. On September 18, 1913, it was merged with the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad.