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91-481: The Medway Branch was a railway line in Norfolk County, Massachusetts . It was built by the Medway Branch Railroad in 1852. It ran from North Wrentham, Massachusetts (now Norfolk ), where it connected with the main line of the Norfolk County Railroad , to Medway, Massachusetts . The 3.6-mile (5.8 km) Medway Branch was abandoned in 1864, following the 1861 completion of the New York and Boston Railroad 's separate line through Medway. The Medway Branch

182-405: A District Attorney , a Clerk of Courts , a Register of Deeds , a Sheriff , a County Treasurer, and a Register of Probate . County Commissioners are elected for a four-year term; two Commissioners are elected to coincide with presidential elections, and one Commissioner is elected during the midterm elections. All three Commissioners must hail from a different municipality. The District Attorney

273-598: A connection to the south. The Medway Branch Railroad from the main line at Norfolk west to Medway was incorporated in 1849 and opened in 1852, being immediately leased to the Norfolk County Railroad. It closed in 1864, two years after the New York and Boston Railroad reached Medway. The Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad was chartered in 1875 and opened in 1877, connecting the main Boston line at Franklin to

364-579: A fixed crossing of the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie , north of the NY&;NE car float at Beacon. The Central New England and Western Railroad , which owned the bridge, chartered the Dutchess County Railroad in 1890 and completed it in 1892, providing a branch from the bridge to the NY&NE at Hopewell Junction . There was a December 31, 1883/January 1, 1884, receivership that got referred to at

455-432: A median income of $ 51,301 versus $ 37,108 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 32,484. About 2.90% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.40% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 670,850 people, 257,914 households, and 168,903 families residing in the county. The population density

546-473: A new alignment that split southwest of North Wrentham station, crossed the river twice, and terminated on the south side of Factory Village. The new route was intended to be shorter and less expensive to construct, and to provide better connection with North Wrentham station. The original charter for the railroad also required it to be in operation within one year. The state legislature granted three extensions of this requirement. The Norfolk County Railroad leased

637-400: A new one to be built. They originally were seeking a utilitarian building that would be fireproof and safe to store important documents. Local boosters, however, wanted a building that aligned with the town's rapidly improving self-image. The land for the courthouse, across the street from the existing one, was purchased from Frances Ames for $ 1,200. Ames later refused to sell the lot to

728-463: A resolution to the effect that the towns of Bellingham , Dedham , Foxborough , Franklin , Medfield , Medway , Needham , Stoughton , Stoughtonham , Walpole , and Wrentham , along with the Middlesex County towns of Holliston , Hopkinton , Natick , and Sherborn ought to be formed into a new county with Medfield as the shiretown. The Great and General Court did not look favorably upon

819-551: A rival group because of concern about Field's close association with Jay Gould) Field sold his holdings in the NY&NE. The Massachusetts sale of NY&NE stock was part of a deliberate policy on the part of Massachusetts to get out of owning railroads; the sale of the Hoosac Tunnel line to the Fitchburg in 1887 was also done under this policy, a declared policy of Massachusetts Governor Andrew . The new NY&NE President in 1887

910-468: Is elected every four years coinciding with the midterm elections. The Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds are elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class I US Senators. The County Treasurer and Register of Probate are elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class II US Senators. The Sheriff is elected every six years coinciding with the elections of Class III US Senators. There have been 21 sheriffs of Norfolk County. In

1001-570: Is in use by MBTA Franklin/Foxboro Line service, while the section from Forge Park to Milford remains in freight use. From Milford to Ashland is abandoned and being converted to the Upper Charles [Rail] Trail. A 1.4-mile (2.3 km) segment of the Upper Charles Trail completed in 2011 uses the right-of-way from I-495 to the Hopkinton line. In July 2020, the state awarded $ 50,000 for design of

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1092-432: Is not completely contiguous ; the towns of Brookline and Cohasset are each part of Norfolk County but are separated from the majority of Norfolk County (and each other) by either water or other counties. At the county's formation, Hingham and Hull were to be part of it, but joined Plymouth County instead, leaving Cohasset as the initial exclave of Norfolk County and an enclave of Plymouth County. Brookline became

1183-627: Is now part of the MBTA 's Franklin/Foxboro Line providing commuter rail service to South Station in Boston , and another segment near East Hartford and Manchester, Connecticut , is used for freight service on the Connecticut Southern Railroad . Other portions in Connecticut and Rhode Island have been converted to rail trails . The corridor from Providence, Rhode Island , west into New York

1274-757: Is the 24th highest-income county in the United States with a median household income of $ 107,361. It is the wealthiest county in Massachusetts. Shortly after the Constitution of Massachusetts was adopted on October 25, 1780, a number of towns in Suffolk County , of which Dedham was then a part, elected delegates to a convention to decide upon some policy relative to the division of the county. The convention met at Gay's Tavern in Dedham on December 12, 1780, and adopted

1365-619: The Boston and Albany Railroad (running through Massachusetts from Boston to Worcester, to Springfield, Pittsfield and on to Albany, New York ). The final bankruptcy of the NY&NE happened on December 27, 1893, and the company was reorganized on August 26, 1895, as the New England Railroad; Stuart Daggett in Railroad Reorganization states the 1895 NY&NE reorganization featured a hefty 20% assessment on NY&NE common. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased

1456-569: The Boston and New York Central Railroad . In 1854, the B&;NYC advertised three daily Boston–Medway round trips. The financial failure of the B&NYC in 1855 led to the trustees of the bondholders of the Norfolk County Railroad taking back control of their line, which they leased to the Boston and Providence from 1855 to 1857. The Medway Branch operated an independent line during this period. Connections were made at North Wrentham with three daily Boston–Blackstone round trips. The Norfolk County Railroad and

1547-504: The Boston and Worcester Railroad at Ashland . The Providence and Worcester leased it until 1885. In 1884 the Milford and Woonsocket bought the Hopkinton, and the two ran as one. The Milford, Franklin and Providence Railroad was organized in 1868 and opened in 1883, extending the line southeast from Milford to Franklin . On April 1, 1897, the New England Railroad leased all three companies. A short section from Franklin to Forge Park/495

1638-579: The Charles River Railroad . It reached Woonsocket, Rhode Island , in 1863, and in 1891 the Woonsocket and Pascoag Railroad opened, continuing the line to the Providence and Springfield Railroad at Harrisville. In 1873 the NY&NE obtained the line to Woonsocket via a merger; on April 1, 1896, the New England Railroad leased the continuation past Woonsocket. The Providence and Springfield Railroad

1729-512: The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system in 1879. Various sources note the Boston Hartford & Erie as failing and falling into receivership in 1870, yet it was during the Panic of 1873 that 89 of the country's 364 railroads went bankrupt. The New York and New England Railroad Company was chartered by special act of the Massachusetts legislature on April 17, 1873. Such was the mess of

1820-421: The Providence and Worcester Railroad at Valley Falls . The New York and New England Railroad leased it in 1887. The Milford and Woonsocket Railroad was incorporated in 1855 and opened a line from Milford to Bellingham in 1868. It was leased by the Providence and Worcester Railroad until 1883. The Hopkinton Railway was organized in 1870 and opened in 1872, running from Milford north via Hopkinton to

1911-462: The Woodward Tavern across the street. The Anglican Church in town had also offered their building, but it was in such a state of disrepair that the offer was not accepted. The First Church and Parish in Dedham then offered a piece of land on their Little Common, and a new courthouse was ordered to be constructed. Construction was sluggish, however, and the delays frustrated Ames. The court

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2002-512: The Worcester and Norwich Railroad Company of Massachusetts when both state legislatures passed acts allowing the merger. Neither of these companies had built any railroad but the new one proceeded to build one from Norwich, Connecticut (later New London ) north to Worcester, Massachusetts , including the Taft Tunnel at Lisbon, CT. The Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad leased it in 1869, and

2093-573: The $ 20 million common stock of the NY&NE originated as the $ 20,000,000 principal amount of the "Berdell Bonds"; the chartering legislation said the NY&NE was to "succeed to the rights of the Berdell Bondholders". There was a 10% assessment levied on the Berdell Bondholders as part of the chartering legislation, which also appropriated the necessary monies for the state to pay its assessment on its $ 3 million of Berdell Bonds. For some reason $ 1,000 of Berdell bonds were never issued so for years

2184-407: The 248,827 households 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 26.80% of households were one person and 10.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14. The age distribution was 23.40% under

2275-408: The 257,914 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 27.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 40.7 years. The median income for a household in

2366-605: The BH&;E (then the NY&NE) at Hawleyville (east of Danbury ). The New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad was leased in 1873, giving a line to New Haven . Later that year, the BH&E went bankrupt and was reorganized April 17 as the New York and New England Railroad; the N&;W lease was kept but the NHM&;W lease was forfeited (prior to its opening August 12), becoming part of

2457-567: The Boston Hartford & Erie's mortgages and land titles that the NY&NE did not enter into possession of any of the BH&E "system" until sometime in 1875. Alvin F. Harlow in Steelways of New England states that the NY&NE did not get possession of the Hartford Providence & Fishkill line until 1877. Through its entire existence (1873–1895) the NY&NE was always bedeviled by uncertainty in its land titles. Symptomatic of this:

2548-628: The Boston and New York Central Railroad, which had the intent of continuing southwest through Connecticut all the way to New York City. The first section of this extension was incorporated in May 1853 as the East Thompson Railroad, forming the Connecticut portion of the Southbridge and Blackstone. The extension from Blackstone southwest to Mechanicsville, Connecticut , on the Norwich and Worcester Railroad

2639-647: The D&;C at the future Hopewell Junction , but was not able to complete the line and lost the lease in 1870. On September 9, 1872, the Long Island Rail Road 's Boston Express began operations, using the BH&E from Norwich (at the south end of the N&W) to Boston. This was later replaced around 1891 with the Long Island and Eastern States Express , using the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad from Wilson Point to

2730-533: The Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad from its trustees , giving it a line from Providence west to Waterbury . In September of that year it acquired the former Boston and New York Central Railroad, but did not operate it yet; the old Norfolk County Railroad continued operations by its trustees . In the meantime, the New York and Boston Railroad had built a line from Brookline, Massachusetts (outside Boston ) southwest to Woonsocket, Rhode Island , crossing

2821-398: The Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad in 1863. It was a short branch from the main line at Vernon north and east to Rockville . The South Manchester Railroad was chartered in 1866 and opened and leased to the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad in 1869. It was a short branch from the main line at Manchester south to South Manchester . The Connecticut Central Railroad

Medway Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-469: The Medway Branch Railroad" for the town's dump – over a century after the line was abandoned. The acquisition was indefinitely postponed. [REDACTED] Media related to Medway Branch at Wikimedia Commons Norfolk County, Massachusetts Norfolk County ( / ˈ n ɔːr f ə k / NOR -fək ) is located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts . At the 2020 census , the population

3003-639: The Medway Branch were leased to the East Thompson Railroad from March 1857 to March 1858, after which the Norfolk County trustees operated both railroads themselves. Service on the line was three daily trains until 1861. That November, the New York and Boston Railroad opened its line between Needham and Medway. Its Medway station was located on the north side of the Charles River, closer to

3094-626: The Midland Railroad, but were not operated due to bad condition. The Midland Land Damage Company tried again in 1862, changing its name to the Southern Midland Railroad in 1863 without success. In May 1863, the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad was chartered to take over operations of the failed lines and continue the line west to Fishkill, New York , with a car float from there to the Erie Railroad at Newburgh . It quickly leased

3185-571: The NY&NE at Brewster . This company had been previously involved with the BH&E in building a through line between New York and Boston, even being called the New York and Boston Railroad at first, and with its opening such a through line was formed. For some time such a traffic arrangement was made, lasting through the NYW&;P's absorption into the New York Central Railroad in 1894. The Poughkeepsie Bridge opened in 1888, providing

3276-498: The NY&NE could afford to pay 8% (reduced from 10% by negotiation ca. 1885) on the N&W's capital stock. In 1881 the extension from Waterbury west to Hopewell Junction on the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad opened. Along with trackage rights over the ND&;C southwest to Beacon , and a short line built by the NY&NE to the Hudson River at Beacon, this completed

3367-405: The NY&NE had $ 19.999 million of common stock outstanding. Through all this the receivers of the BH&E and the later management of the NY&NE continued to hold on to the BH&E's Norwich & Worcester lease which was a major part, if not the principal prop to the entire system's existence. The N&W and its related Norwich Line steamers (passenger and freight) made money, enough that

3458-615: The New England Rail Systems claims there was a mini-Northern Pacific type corner in 1894 in NY&NE common when parties "Friendly" to the Boston & Albany tried to buy controlling influence in the NY&NE and the New Haven had to buy a large position in NY&NE common. Both parties apparently wound up together buying more NY&NE common than actually existed; worse, the New Haven had had to pay high prices for near worthless shares. The most well-known and prestigious train of

3549-640: The New York & New England Railroad was the New England Limited of 1891 , a crack Boston - New York passenger train. In 1891, the Pullman Palace Car Company refitted the train with luxurious new cars decorated in white and gold, inspiring the advertising department to call it the White Train and folks along the line to call it the Ghost Train as it sped through their towns after dark. It caught

3640-529: The Norfolk County Railroad in Blackstone . On January 4, 1865, the BH&E absorbed that company, making its Woonsocket Division. On December 13 of the same year, various Erie Railway men were elected to the BH&E board, placing it under partial control of the Erie. On February 11, 1867, the BH&E leased the Norfolk County Railroad, finally reopening the full line from Mechanicsville to Boston . That same year,

3731-449: The Norwich and Worcester line. The New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad opened and was leased to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad in 1873. The BH&E went bankrupt later that year, as did the NHM&W in 1875. The NHM&W became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1879. The Rockville Railroad was incorporated in 1857 and opened and leased to

Medway Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-521: The Trolley Brook Trail, a 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (0.80 km) segment of rail trail on the right-of-way in Ashland. It will be the first segment of the 7 miles (11 km) of the trail in Ashland. The line eventually running from Brookline, Massachusetts , to Harrisville, Rhode Island , was originally built as a competitor to the NY&NE's Boston line. The first section opened in 1852 as part of

3913-421: The age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males. The median household income was $ 63,432 and the median family income was $ 77,847 (these figures had risen to $ 77,294 and $ 95,243 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had

4004-486: The branch to Southbridge (part of the original Southbridge and Blackstone charter) opened. The Norwich and Worcester Railroad was leased in 1869, finally giving it a route to Boston, using the N&W from the Providence line at Plainfield north to the old Norfolk County Railroad at Mechanicsville. In August 1872 a direct connection from Willimantic on the line to Providence northeast to Mechanicsville opened, completing

4095-463: The building measures 52 feet by 186 feet, is two stories high with a copper hipped roof, and is built of Indiana limestone with details made of granite from Deer Isle, Maine . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 444 square miles (1,150 km ), of which 396 square miles (1,030 km ) is land and 48 square miles (120 km ) (11%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Massachusetts by total area. The county

4186-695: The census-designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. *congregations **adherents The county has offices in Dedham Square. It runs the Norfolk County Correctional Center , the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, and the Norfolk County Courthouse . All eligible voters of Norfolk County vote for three County Commissioners ,

4277-401: The central rotunda: George C. Hersey on August 8, 1862 and James H. Costley on June 25, 1875. Inmates were housed in the jail until 1992 when the Norfolk County Correctional Center was opened in 1992. A court forced the closure after 13 inmates escaped in 1989. There were at least 27 break outs during the prison's history. The current Norfolk County Correctional Center is located on

4368-414: The city. In addition to the two main lines to Boston and Providence , splitting at Willimantic , numerous branches and auxiliary lines existed. The original Boston line ended at Dedham with a connection to the Boston and Providence Railroad . In 1883 what had become a branch to Dedham was abandoned. Prior to that, a new branch just to the east had been built in 1881, and was supplemented in 1890 by

4459-526: The company for 99 years from July 1, 1898, at 3% on the preferred (normal dividend) and common stock. The New England Railroad was merged into the New Haven in 1908. Many sources state that most of the NE stock had early on been acquired by the New Haven, probably bought in 1895 when NY&NE stockholders who did not want to forfeit their shares for non-assessment dumped their shares on the market. Baker in Formation of

4550-425: The county was $ 81,027 and the median family income was $ 101,870. Males had a median income of $ 68,070 versus $ 51,870 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 42,371. About 4.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over. The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if

4641-544: The county was incorporated in 1793. As of August 2012, Hingham 's Precinct 2 will be part of the Fourth Norfolk District. School districts include: K-12: Secondary: Elementary: Regional vocational High Schools: 42°10′N 71°11′W  /  42.17°N 71.19°W  / 42.17; -71.19 Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Today, most of the original New York and New England lines have been abandoned. A segment in Massachusetts

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4732-585: The direct line to Boston. The Willimantic stop also afforded a transfer to the New London Northern Railroad for Palmer, Massachusetts , and Brattleboro, Vermont , to the north, and for New London to the south. By 1869 the BH&E leased the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad , which was building a line roughly southwest-northeast in Dutchess County, New York . The BH&E planned to build west to

4823-459: The east at an asking price of $ 400, however. Masonic ceremonies, bell ringing and cannon fire accompanied the laying of the cornerstone on July 4, 1825. In 1827, the old courthouse was sold at public auction. The new building was designed by Solomon Willard and was dedicated on February 20, 1827. It was a basic rectangular granite-walled structure, 48' by 98' and two stories tall, with Greek-temple porticoes at either end. Each 10' portico

4914-477: The lease continued through the reorganizations. Connections were provided with the Providence line at Plainfield and the Boston line between Putnam and Mechanicsville . In 1886 the New England Railroad company renewed the lease that it acquired from the Boston, Hartford, and Erie. Until 1955 the line served as the basis for Boston-bypassing run-through train, the East Wind from New York to Bangor, Maine , via

5005-580: The line in Connecticut, including Danbury to Hawleyville and Waterbury to Bristol, were double-tracked in the late 1910s. This work included the construction of the Pequabuck Tunnel , which opened in 1910. Until 1955 the NY, NH & H ran passenger trains from Boston to Blackstone , to Putnam, joining the above line at Willimantic and continually finally to Waterbury. This included the weekday limited stops Nutmeg train. The last remnant of service on this line

5096-469: The main lines from Boston and Providence to the Hudson River, where a train ferry took cars to the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad 's Newburg Branch at Newburgh . Part of the line in New York was built along the never-used grade from the failed Putnam and Dutchess Railroad . Also in 1881 the New York, Westchester and Putnam Railway was completed, running north and east from New York City to

5187-601: The median of Route 128 in Dedham. The facility has 502 beds and opened in 1992. After the creation of the county, the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of General Sessions of the Peace first met in Dedham's meetinghouse . Nathaniel Ames was chosen as the clerk of both and they met for the first time on September 23. When the court met on January 7, 1794, it was so cold in the building, which lacked any sort of heating, that they moved to

5278-645: The mid-1800s, Jonathan H. Cobb was the clerk of courts. Like the rest of Massachusetts, Norfolk County is a Democratic stronghold. The last time it voted for a Republican presidential candidate was in 1984 , during Ronald Reagan 's landslide victory in which he carried every state except Minnesota and the district of Washington, D.C. Note: West Roxbury (annexed to Boston 1874), Roxbury (annexed to Boston 1868), Dorchester (founded 1630, annexed to Boston 1870), Hyde Park (incorporated 1868 from Dorchester, Milton, and Dedham, annexed to Boston 1912), and Hingham and Hull were originally part of Norfolk County when

5369-510: The moniker "County of Presidents." Following the creation of the county, Gay's Tavern was the site of a Court of General Sessions on August 25, 1794. They ordered that the committee on buildings proceed with collecting materials for building a jail. On the last day of September following this order, the court accepted from Timothy Gay the gift of a parallelogram lot of land to erect the Norfolk County Jail next to his tavern. It

5460-413: The not-yet-complete Medway Branch Railroad in 1851. Service on the Medway Branch ultimately began on December 29, 1852. The Norfolk County operated a single daily round trip between Medway and Boston. The total cost to build the line was $ 37,088 (equivalent to $ 1,070,000 in 2023). The Norfolk County Railroad, Midland Railroad , and Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad were consolidated in 1853 to form

5551-499: The original Dedham-Blackstone line, operated by the Boston and Providence Railroad as a branch. On March 2, 1857, the trustees took repossession , ending the operation by the B&P. The East Thompson Railroad leased the line, reopening it again in full for about a year before another failure. At that time, all but the original Dedham-Blackstone line and Medway Branch were closed until 1867. The closed lines were sold in November 1858 to

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5642-447: The resolution, however, and no new county was then created. Norfolk County, Massachusetts was created on March 26, 1793, by legislation signed by Governor John Hancock . Most of the towns were originally part of Suffolk County, Massachusetts . The towns of Dorchester and Roxbury were part of Norfolk County when it was created but, as Boston annexed each town, they became part of Suffolk County again, leaving Brookline separated from

5733-578: The rest of Norfolk County. Hingham and Hull were originally part of the Norfolk County legislation but petitioned to remain in Suffolk County and in June 1793 their removal to Norfolk County was repealed, making Cohasset an exclave . In 1803, they were moved into Plymouth County, Massachusetts . Norfolk County is the birthplace of four Presidents of the United States ( John Adams , John Quincy Adams , John F. Kennedy , and George H. W. Bush ), resulting in

5824-585: The romantic imagination of New Englanders and even after it was long gone, Lucius Beebe , a Bostonian and noted railroad writer, felt compelled to memorialize it. Famed author Rudyard Kipling memorialized the train in a popular verse: Much of the major foundation of the line of the NY & NE was the legacy of the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad, whose mainline ran from Providence, Rhode Island, west to Plainfield, Connecticut, to Willimantic, to Vernon, to Hartford, to New Britain, to Waterbury, to Danbury, and finally to Brewster, NY. Several portions of

5915-465: The second exclave of Norfolk County in 1873 when the neighboring town of West Roxbury was annexed by Boston (thus leaving Norfolk County to join Suffolk County ) and Brookline refused to be annexed by Boston after the Brookline-Boston annexation debate of 1873 . At the 2000 census there were 650,308 people, 248,827 households, and 165,967 families residing in the county. The population density

6006-453: The southeast. Local interests in Medway chartered the Medway Branch Railroad on May 1, 1849, to connect their town to the Norfolk County Railroad's line. The original plan called for the Medway Branch to split from the Norfolk County Railroad northeast of North Wrentham station, cross the Charles River only once, and terminate on the north side of Factory Village. In April 1850, the state approved

6097-400: The time as the "Midnight Receivership" which featured the NY&NE officers trying to find a federal judge to issue a receivership order before the end of the year. This receivership was over by 1886. Cyrus W. Field had become a major figure behind the NY&NE by 1886 but after the state of Massachusetts refused to sell him the $ 3 million in stock it held (instead disposing of the shares to

6188-512: The two Connecticut companies merged to form the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad, with a modified charter to continue past Brewster to Fishkill, New York , on the Hudson River , and in 1851 the Rhode Island company was merged into it. Later that year the first section opened, from Hartford east to Willimantic . Extensions opened east to Providence in 1854 and west to Waterbury in 1855. The HP&F went bankrupt on January 1, 1858, and

6279-445: The village center, and it made the Medway Branch redundant. By mid-1862, the Norfolk County was no longer operating passenger service on the Medway Branch; a stagecoach was instead operated between North Wrentham and West Medway via Medway Village. The moribund line was acquired by the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad , successor to the Boston and New York Central, on May 12, 1864. It was officially abandoned that year. The Medway Branch

6370-476: Was Jabez A. Bostwick , a Standard Oil partner of John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller's brother William sat on the board of the New Haven. With Rockefeller lieutenants in both camps one wonders whether the NY&NE-NYNH&H "rivalry" may have been a Standard Oil "Divide & Conquer" policy to get low rates and other benefits out of both roads who together controlled nearly all rail business in New England south of

6461-685: Was 1,628 inhabitants per square mile (629/km ). There were 255,154 housing units at an average density of 639 per square mile (247/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 89.02% White or European American , 3.18% Black or African American , 0.13% Native American , 5.50% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.78% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.84%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.6% were of Irish , 13.4% Italian , 7.7% English and 5.0% descendants of colonists ancestry according to Census 2000 . 85.7% spoke English , 2.3% Chinese in any dialect, 2.0% Spanish , 1.0% Italian and 1.0% French as their first language. Of

6552-425: Was 1,693.6 inhabitants per square mile (653.9/km ). There were 270,359 housing units at an average density of 682.5 per square mile (263.5/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 82.3% white, 8.6% Asian, 5.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: Of

6643-526: Was 725,981. Its county seat is Dedham . It is the fourth most populous county in the United States whose county seat is neither a city nor a borough, and it is the second most populous county that has a county seat at a town . The county was named after the English county of the same name . Two towns, Cohasset and Brookline , are exclaves . Norfolk County is included in the Boston - Cambridge - Newton , MA- NH Metropolitan Statistical Area . Norfolk County

6734-405: Was a Hartford-Waterbury segment that ended in the 1960s. As time passed and sections were abandoned, the former NY&NE main lines became minor branches. In 1965, the city of Bristol, Connecticut , paid $ 15 million to build a new spur (partially using a segment of the pre- Pequabuck Tunnel mainline) to a new General Motors plant on Chippens Hill to convince the company to keep its operations in

6825-593: Was about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long and had a single track. From North Wrentham station , the branch ran northwest through North Wrentham (now Norfolk ) to the Rockville village of Medway (now part of Millis ), where it crossed the Charles River . It continued west through Medway, crossing the Charles a second time, to its Medway terminal at what is now Walker Street, southeast of Medway Village. The only intermediate station

6916-485: Was at Rockville. The line gained 70 feet (21 m) in elevation from Medway to North Wrentham, with a maximum grade of 54 feet per mile (1.0%). A wye for turning equipment was located just east of Medway station. The Norfolk County Railroad opened its line between Dedham and Blackstone, Massachusetts , in 1849. In Dedham, it connected with the Boston and Providence Railroad to reach Boston. This new railroad bypassed Factory Village (later called Medway Village ) to

7007-462: Was built in 1827, the middle office on the west side of the lower level was used by the Registry. When the population of the county grew and the number of real estate transactions increased apace, a new building was constructed for the Registry across the street at 649 High Street. The Boston firm Peabody & Stearns was hired to design the current Registry of Deeds, built in 1905. The main section of

7098-624: Was chartered in 1853 and opened in 1873 from Providence, Rhode Island , northwest to Pascoag . An extension to Douglas Junction on the NY&NE main line in Massachusetts opened in 1893, and the New England Railroad leased the line on July 1, 1896. The Southbridge Branch from East Thompson, Connecticut , to Southbridge, Massachusetts , was part of the original charter for the Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad , and opened in 1867, after it had been consolidated. The Pawtuxet Valley Railroad

7189-622: Was chartered in 1871, and its continuation in Massachusetts , the Springfield and New London Railroad , in 1874, to build a line from East Hartford to Springfield , with a branch to the Rockville Railroad at Westway . It opened in 1876 and was immediately leased by the Connecticut Valley Railroad , which gave up the lease to the New York and New England Railroad in 1880. The Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad

7280-442: Was completed in 1853. In January 1855 the new main line to Boston was opened, but was closed six months later until December 1856 because of an injunction due to the danger of the numerous grade crossings . The new line ran to a terminal at the foot of Summer Street in downtown Boston via South Boston . The full line was first operated as one on June 1, 1855, but again failed quickly. On August 6 operations were restarted on only

7371-660: Was formed in 1888 as a consolidation of two smaller companies, opening in 1885 and 1888. The New York and New England Railroad leased it in 1892, as a branch from the main line in Waterbury east to Cromwell on the Connecticut River . The company went bankrupt and was reorganized in 1898 as the Middletown, Meriden and Waterbury Railroad , and was immediately leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . For stations between Boston and Readville , see Fairmount Line . For

7462-414: Was installed around the perimeter. The Registry was originally housed in one of the first floor rooms of the home of Eliphalet Pond, the first registrar, at 963 Washington Street in Dedham. A sign was nailed to a tree out front informing the public of its location. It then moved to the original Norfolk County Courthouse and remained there for about three decades. When the new Norfolk County Courthouse

7553-463: Was just the seventh rail line to be abandoned in New England. When North Wrentham was incorporated as an independent town named Norfolk in 1870, one of the abandoned Medway Branch bridges was used to define a corner of the boundary. Part of the right of way in Norfolk was later reused for Medway Branch Road. In 1968, Norfolk's annual town meeting included an article to acquire a parcel "supposedly owned by

7644-411: Was leased in 1851, opening December 29, 1852. On May 1, 1849, the Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad was incorporated to extend the line west from Blackstone to Southbridge . The Midland Railroad was incorporated May 2, 1850, to build a new entrance to Boston, merging with the existing one south of Dedham. The two companies were consolidated with the Norfolk County Railroad on December 12, 1853, to form

7735-419: Was organized in 1872 and opened and leased to the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad in 1874, running from the main line at River Point to Hope . The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad leased it in 1884 as a continuation of their Pontiac Branch Railroad . The Norwich and Worcester Railroad was an 1837 consolidation of the Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad Company of Connecticut and

7826-524: Was originally chartered as three companies. The Providence and Plainfield Railroad, chartered in June 1846, would run from Providence to the Rhode Island–Connecticut state line. The Hartford and Providence Railroad, incorporated in May 1847, would continue west to Hartford, Connecticut , and the New York and Hartford Railroad, chartered and incorporated in May 1845, would continue to the New York and Harlem Railroad at Brewster, New York . In 1849,

7917-424: Was replaced by a new Norfolk County Jail in 1817. The two story stone building was built in 1817 and was 33' square. Part of the jail was torn down in 1851 to erect a central, octagonal portion and two wings. It resulted in a building with the shape of a Latin cross , and featured Gothic Revival windows. The three tiers of cells radiated out like spokes from the central guardroom. There were two hangings in

8008-521: Was run by the trustees until 1863, when it was leased by the newly formed Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad. At the Boston end, the earliest predecessor was the Norfolk County Railroad, chartered April 24, 1847. The line from the Boston and Providence Railroad 's branch at Dedham, Massachusetts , southwest to Walpole opened on April 23, 1849, and an extension to the Providence and Worcester Railroad in Blackstone opened May 16. The company went bankrupt soon after. The short Medway Branch Railroad

8099-540: Was still sitting in the meetinghouse in 1794 but the new courthouse was completed in 1795. It was found to be too small, however, and the ceilings were so low as to stifle people in the courtrooms. Charles Bulfinch was hired in 1795 to design a turret for the building and Paul Revere was commissioned to cast a bell. When it became apparent that the Courthouse was out of date, the County Commissioners ordered

8190-525: Was supported by four Doric pillars. A bell made by Paul Revere was moved from the old courthouse to the new north portico, where it was tolled to announce court sessions. The interior had a hall running through the center paved with brick. On the eastern side were the offices of the Country Treasurer and the Clerk of Courts. On the western side were the Registry of Deeds and Probate Court. The courtroom

8281-433: Was upstairs and featured an arched ceiling. The high sheriff had a desk in the room. From the outside it was an attractive building, but it was not a comfortable place to work. The only water was provided by a well on Court Street, and it did not have an adequate heating system. One employee complained that it was "barren and destitute of every convenience, demanded for health, comfort and decency." In 1846, an iron fence

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