Vermont got a railroad visit of a new kind on this day in 1849. The train pulling into Vernon served more than just Vermont - it served Massachusetts too.

The rail company was the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad, and it offered Vermont’s first inter-state train service.

In 1843, the Vermont Legislature had granted the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad permission to construct a line that would run from Brattleboro south across the Massachusetts border and on into Fitchburg. It took four years before ground was broken in Vernon and then a little over a year more for the line into Vernon to be completed.

The Vermont Book Of Days photo.