Station Master JJ Green

About

What remains of the West River Railroad is a quiet building in Newfane, VT. The Old Depot was lovingly restored in recent years by The Historical Society of Windham County. The railroad was completed in 1880 and ran until 1936, known locally as “the 36 miles of trouble” due to frequent wrecks, derailments, or track disruptions due to the forces of nature.

J.J.Green was a prominent citizen and stationmaster in Newfane. The book, The Diary of JJ Green: A Daily Record of the Year 1885 by a Stationmaster on the West River Railroad gives an intimate view of the woes of the West River Railroad. JJ Green died in the infamous “Wreck At Three Bridges” that very year.

Research & Production

Audio Editor: Donna Blackney
Audio Producer: Lissa Weinmann
Research & Narration: Deb Luskin
Produced & Edited: Donna Blackney
Voice of JJ Green: John Loggia
Voice Reading Newspaper Account: Jon Mack

Music used:

‘Auld Lang Syne’ (traditional by Robert Burns) Performed by United States Marine Band (freemusicarchive.org)
‘Pineapple Rag’ by Scott Joplin (freemusicarchive.org)
‘Pretend and Walk Outside’ by Krakatoa (freemusicarchive.org)

Ongoing Development and Involvement:

As a community-created project, we encourage ongoing dialogue, questions, and engagement. If you would like to be involved in future developments, have information or a perspective that could deepen others' understanding of this topic, please contact us