Rochester NH History - The Golden Age of Railroads

The Age of Railroads in the United States was a transformative period that spanned from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 marked a pivotal moment in American history, connecting the East and West coasts and facilitating economic growth, migration, and trade. By the 1900s, railroads had expanded to over 250,000 miles of track in the United States, with iconic stations like Chicago's Union Station and Grand Central Station The first railroad in the United States was built in 1827 in Pennsylvania. This train hauled coal from Summit Hill to the Lehigh canal. It was only nine miles long, but it was the start of the railroad age in America. Rochester would have to wait until the 1840's for the trains to appear. The March 13, 1849 edition of the Dover Enquirer had a small article that simply said THE GREAT FALLS AND CONWAY RAILROAD WAS OPENED TO ROCHESTER ON MONDAY. From then the railroad grew quickly and by 1885 a large depot was built in Rochester, on or around where Windjammers Restaurant is currently located. This depot was named Union Station. By the turn of the century Union Station was extremely busy with around 50 trains arriving and departing on a daily basis. #railway #train #history #newhampshire #trainhistory