We thank Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area ,special guest John Garvey from Chester Historical Society and all who came to Chester to learn about the spur railroad built to increase economic growth by a way to ship Granite, Emery and other goods produced in the Walker Brook Valley and to service the Granite Quarries in Becket all the way to finishing at our Chester Granite and Polishing Works .Completed in January of 1898, the Chester and Becket Railroad ran independently until 1906.  The line joined the Boston & Albany Railroad main line through a box culvert under U. S. 20, near where Bay State Drive turns off Rte.20 in Chester. This culvert was built in 1930 as part of a public works project to upgrade Rte. 20. If the state highway department had held off just a bit, it wouldn’t have been necessary. Only one train ever passed beneath it. The line was abandoned shortly thereafter on January 13, 1931.  The construction of the Chester-Becket Branch Railroad was done with oxen and two-wheeled dump- carts hauled by mules.

Western Mass Hilltown Hikers
#hikethehilltownhistory
#hikethehilltowns with the #westernmasshilltownhikers  #discoverthehilltowns #visitthehills  #hilltownhistory  #flashhike  #intheberkshires #nature #adventure #history #hiking #outdooradventures #visittheberkshires #mylocalMA #visitma #hilltownhikers #westernmass #hikingwithdogs
Visit our blog for all of our adventures! want to come along on these hikes? Become a member at www.hilltownhikers.com
Help conserve the Chester Granite Saw, our newest property! https://www.pledge.to/help-conserve-the-chester-granite-saw
Text HILLTOWNHIKERS to 707070 to donate.
www.hilltownhikers.com
You can mail your tax-deductible donation to Western Mass Hilltown Hikers, PO Box 3, Chester, MA  01011
Venmo @hilltownhikers
Stay informed – join our mailing list https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/5O0RYN5/hilltownhikeremail