Articles from the Woonsocket Patriot newspaper.

     The Woonasquatucket Railroad was chartered in 1857, but due to financial setbacks and the American Civil War, work wasn’t begun until 1871.  In 1872 the name was changed to the Providence & Springfield Railroad.  It later became the New York & New England Railroad in 1890, and in 1895, the New England Railroad.  The name was changed again in 1898 to the New York & New Haven Railroad.

     Passenger service to the Smithfield portion of tracks was discontinued in 1931, and the tracks were torn up in 1962.

Click on images to enlarge.

     Other known railroad accidents that have occurred on the Smithfield portion include the following:

     On August 14, 1888, a 55-year-old man was struck and killed by a moving train.  The exact location is not recorded.

     On May 16, 1924, a 37-year-old man was killed when he fell under a moving train in Stillwater.

    On April 14, 1925, an automobile containing a man and three women was struck by a train at the Brayton Avenue crossing.  All four were killed.

     On November 30, 1928, a husband and wife were injured when their automobile collided with a train at the Brayton Avenue crossing.

     On September 18, 1945, an automobile was struck by a train at the “Bull Run” crossing at Farnum Pike and Leland Mowry Rd.  One person was killed and six others were injured.

     On September 28, 1955, one man was killed when his car collided with a train that was crossing Douglas Pike near the North Smithfield town line.