Local
Services Directory and MapsGenerally within the city limits, the City of Keene owns and manages the rail-trail network as part of its alternate transportation and recreational pathway system. As such, the City Planning Office is heavily involved in the planning of the three rail-trails that are within Keene's municipal boundaries. In addition, the City Planning Office is heavily involved in the NH-DOT plan to reconstruct the Keene Bypass Highway and to include a multi-purpose pathway within the project boundaries. Last but not least, the City Planning Office is heavily committed to a variety of pedestrian paths and bicycle routes within the city limits.
Pathways for Keene is a non-profit (501C3 tax exempt) group of volunteers who promote the public bicycle and pedestrian system in the City of Keene and who solicit contributions to accomplish this goal.
The Rail-trail in the Surrounding towns of New Hampshire has been purchased by NH-DOT with Federal ISTEA or TEA-21 Transportation Enhancement funding. It is managed for recreational trail purposes by:
Bureau of TrailsLocal coordination is provided by:
Friends of PisgahThe following railroad mileage chart also serves as a table of contents for the detailed rail-trail information and associated pictures. Each page begins with the historic name of the former railroad station, and continues with detailed information about the trail on either side of that railroad station, to a point roughly half-way to the next railroad station. The page then concludes with a set of icons representing the services and points of interest that are within a reasonable distance of the trail.
42 miles state owned
| Miles* | Station | Svc. | Settlement | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67.92 | Winchendon | TFP | Winchendon, MA | Winchendon, MA |
| 70.93 | State Line | TFP | State Line | Fitzwilliam |
| 76.28 | Fitzwilliam | TFP | Fitzwilliam Depot | Fitzwilliam |
| 81.55 | Troy | TFP | Troy | Troy |
| 85.30 | Webb | TFP | Webb Station | Marlboro |
| 89.22 | Joslin | TFP | Joslin | Keene |
| 91.28 | Keene | TFP | Keene | Keene |
| 100.36 | Gilboa | TFP | East Westmoreland | Westmoreland |
| 103.66 | Westmoreland | TFP | Westmoreland Station | Westmoreland |
| 109.82 | Walpole | TFP | Walpole | Walpole |
| 112.57 | Cold River | -FP | Cold River | Walpole |
21 miles state owned
| Miles*** | Station | Svc. | Settlement | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | Dole Jct. | T-- | Dole Jct. | Hinsdale |
| 2.63 | Hinsdale | TFP | Hinsdale | Hinsdale |
| 6.13 | Ashuelot | TFP | Asheulot | Winchester |
| 8.32 | Winchester | TFP | Winchester | Winchester |
| 10.41 | Forest Lake | --- | ? | Winchester |
| 13.71 | Westport | --- | Westport | Swanzey |
| 16.25 | West Swanzey | TFP | West Swanzey | Swanzey |
| 18.45 | Swanzey | --- | Swanzey | Swanzey |
| 21.75 | Keene | TFP | Keene | Keene |
8.9 miles state owned
| Miles** | Station | Svc. | Settlement | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.89 | Doolittle | --- | ? | Hinsdale |
| 51.92 | Dole Jct. | T-- | Dole Junction | Hinsdale |
| 53.87 | Fort Hill | --- | Hinsdale | Hinsdale |
| 60.29 | Brattleboro | TFP | Brattleboro, VT | Brattleboro, VT |
* Railroad miles from Boston
** Railroad miles from Springfield, MA
*** Railroad miles from Dole Jct.
Svc. (in 1923): T=Telegraph, F=Freight Accounts, P=Passenger tickets
Bold face suggests depot present in 1923.
Italic Face indicates a point beyond the end of the
currently open trail.
Mileage and Station Names from Official List of Officers, Agents and Stations of the Boston & Maine Railroad, July 1,1923
Rail-trail users must note that four rail-trails currently converge at Winchendon MA:
Cheshire Branch Rail-trail to Keene and Westmoreland NH
Monadnock Branch Rail-trail to Jaffrey NH
North Central Pathway to Gardner MA
Ware River Rail-trail to Coldbrook (near South Barre MA).
These postings were written by G. Scott Graham for publication in the Monadnock Shopper News.
Mountain Biking - Keene to Brattleboro (07/99)
Mountain Biking - Keene to Cold River (04/00)
A 21 mile section of the Ashuelot Branch Rail-trail from Hinsdale (Dole Jct) to Keene (State College Campus) is described in section 18 of the Official Rails-to-Trails Conservancy New England Guidebook by Cynthia Mascott published in 2000 by Globe Pequot Press. This trail listing contains a photograph, historical description, trail head directions and parking, a trail map, trail details, a local trail manager contact, and much more.
Local
Services Directory and MapsAny Mapblast Map on this Web Site is a link to the Mapblast Web Site which in turn leads to a Business Directory of the surrounding area.
KeeneNH.Com - A Regional & Local
DirectoryThe newspapers published by Keene Publishing (The Keene Sentinel, River Record, Monadnock Home Companion, Star Spangled Banner) have organized a regional and town-by-town directory for the combined circulation area of this regional family of newspapers.
Two
centuries of newsSelected articles about the general history of the region from the The Keene Sentinel's commemorative edition that was published July 26-27, 1999.
Web Site features a series of pages containing a brief historical background and other information about each municipality within the circulation area of the newspaper. The second link leads to a set of
The Fort Hill Branch, built in 1912, runs on the east side of the Connecticut River for about 9 miles from Dole Junction, NH to Brattleboro, VT. It was built to supplement service on the single-track railroad between Vernon and Brattleboro on the west side of the Connecticut River. After it crosses the bridge into Vermont, The Fort Hill Branch rejoins the existing railroad on the west side of the River. The NH portion of the corridor, including the bridge, is being considered for the project. The one half mile leg in Vermont is presently privately owned.
The Ashuelot Branch, built about 1848, extends from the Connecticut River across from Vernon, VT northeast along its namesake river for 23 miles to Keene, NH. Dole Junction, about a mile north of the site of the dismantled Connecticut River bridge, is the site where the Fort Hill Branch begins it route northwest to Brattleboro, VT. The portion from the intersection with the Cheshire Branch in Keene to the Connecticut River is being considered for the project.
The Cheshire Branch, built about 1850, ran from South Ash Curve on the present day ST's Freight Main in South Ashburnham, MA through Cheshire County, NH to Bellows Falls, VT. It meets the Ashuelot Branch in Downtown Keene. The portion between Winchendon, MA and North Walpole, NH is being considered for the project.
Edited by Ethan Haslett <[email protected]> and published in Volume III, Issue 2 (February 19, 1997) edition of the Web newsletter Rumors & Sightings on and around Springfield Terminal. This text was revised by the late Bill Appel of Keene, NH in a letter dated June 8, 1998 for this Web Page.
| Item | From | To | Year | RR | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | Keene | Cold River | 1972 | B&M | 20.7 |
| 294 | Winchendon, MA | Swanzey, NH | 1972 | B&M | 20.6 |
| 350A | East Northfield, MA | Brattleboro, VT | 1983 | B&M | 11.3 |
| 350B | Dole Jct. | Keene | 1983 | B&M | 21.7 |
| 350C | at Keene | 1983 | B&M | 3.1 |
| Project Name | Year | City | County | Federal $ | Local $ | Total $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acq. Ft. Hill RR Line | 1994 | Hinsdale | N/A | $267,037 | $66,759 | $333,796 |
| Acq. of Ashwelot Line, Keene-Hinsdale | 1995 | Keene | Cheshire | $432,000 | $108,000 | $540,000 |
| Acq. of Cheshire Line, N. Waldpole - MA Stline | 1995 | Walpole | Cheshire | $816,000 | $204,000 | $1,020,000 |
| Cheshire Branch Trail, Dowtown Keene | 1997 | Keene | Cheshire | $299,351 |
$74,838 |
$374,189 |
| Downtown Segmt.-Cheshire Br. Tr. & N. leg-Aueshelot Tr. | 2001 | KEENE | N/A | $384,570 | $96,143 | $480,713 |
| Rail-trail, trailhead parking lot, for safer trail access | 2002 | SWANZEY | N/A | $23,600 | $5,900 |
$29,500 |
This list is drawn on April 8, 2000 from a database maintained by the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse. Direct questions to NTEC at 1-888-388-NTEC or by email to [email protected].
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Authorized to sell to the Keene Country Club, 755 West Hill Road, Keene, NH an area of 10,800 square feet, more or less, of the State-owned Cheshire Branch Railroad Line in the City of Keene for $2,000.00 plus a one time administrative fee of $500.00.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Authorized to enter into a lease with Winchester Assembly of God, 23 Elm Street, Winchester, NH for 5,000 square feet, more or less, of the State-owned Cheshire Branch Railroad Line in the Town of Winchester for a period of 5 years at $100.00 per year.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Authorized to enter into a lease with Arthur Brnger d/b/a Brnger, Inc., 304 Monadock Highway, East Swanzey, NH for 18,000 square feet, more or less, of the State-owned Cheshire Branch Railroad Line in the Town of Swanzey for a period of 5 years at $1,440.00 per year with an option of an additional 5 years at the then current market rate, plus a one time administrative fee of $500.00.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Authorized to grant to the City of Keene a permanent easement on 3.9 acres of the State owned Cheshire Branch Railroad Line in Keene to the City of Keene for a cost of $200.00 plus an Administrative fee of $500.00 for a total of $700.00.
Recent news articles from the archives of The Keene Sentinel.
Highway and trail sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs by Richard C. Moeur.
Updated on August 07, 2001 by Kenyon F.
Karl <[email protected]>.
Unintentional errors are likely!
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