Bennington and North Adams Street Railway

On Friday December 21, 1906, a switch was laid connecting the Bennington and Rutland Railroad tracks with the North Adams electric trolley line, which was still under construction. The installation was completed around noon, and an ancient steam locomotive towed an inaugural load of men and boys on a flat car along Main Street. The sight attracted crowds and photographers, and the engine obligingly stopped for several photo ops. In the background are Griswold’s store, the Bennington Banner office, and Gokay’s drug store. In the early 1900s trolleys were the most advanced mode of transportation and symbolized a town’s worth, its modernity, and its aspirations. 

Construction for the electric trolley line between North Adams and Bennington started in April of 1906, but work was hampered by labor disputes, cold weather, and rock slides. By December service was established as far as Pownal, but the frozen ground made it difficult to proceed further. The line was completed the following year and officially dedicated on June 27, 1907. The Vermont Railroad Commissioners commented on the line in their 1906-08 report, calling it “one of the best constructed and most thoroughly equipped street railways in New England.” Trolleys operated on the line until 1929, when they could no longer compete with the automobiles.