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Revisiting the History of Rail in Clinton

Just because the Polar Express may have left the station, train and history enthusiasts can still enjoy their hobby this winter. The Henry Carter Hull Library at 10 Killingworth Turnpike will host a free event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 for locals to learn about the railroad in Clinton and the role it played in the town’s history.

The lecture, Whistles Along the Shoreline: The Railroad in Clinton, will be presented by E.C. Schroeder, a member of the Clinton Historical Society and the director of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

Schroeder said that his interest in trains and the railroad was “hereditary,” as his family had always been interested in the subject. This won’t be his first presentation on the topic.

“I’ve been with the historical society a number of years, and gave a similar talk in 2004,” Schroeder said.

Sarah Borgnis-Tobin, the adult programming coordinator at the library, said that for some reason, events the library hosts about trains draw significant interest in the community, and some have already expressed an interest in this event.

“There’s lots of interest for local history,” Borgnis-Tobin said.

Borgnis-Tobin described the focus of the lecture as “hyper local.”

“A few times a year we collaborate with the historical society. The is event is really focused Clinton’s history,” she said. “The lecture will focus on the historical impact of the railroad coming to Clinton” in 1852.

Schroeder said the town changed due to the railroad, which made Clinton a hub.

“It was easy to get up and down the shore now,” Schroeder said.

Additionally, the railroad brought in industry, such as the Chesebrough-Pond’s site.

“One surprising piece is the physical footprint of the railroad, [and] how much infrastructure from the railroad was in town,” Schroeder said.

The lecture will feature early photographs of Clinton and explore the arrival and impact of railroads on the development of Clinton. The talk will also discuss the ways the railroad changed over its long history in town, including the history of its three railroad stations, two of which still exist.

Schroeder said the lecture will last 30 to 40 minutes, then feature a question-and-answer portion. The program at the library is co-sponsored by the Clinton Historical Society and is part of the society’s Victor and Lynnabeth Mays Lecture Series. For more information, visit www.clintoncthistory.org.