Home » Hopewell Valley Historical Society Presents The Mercer and Somerset Railroad Story

Hopewell Valley Historical Society Presents The Mercer and Somerset Railroad Story

by Mary Galioto

Hopewell Valley Historical Society will be hosting an informational presentation about The Mercer and Somerset Railroad Story on the 140th Anniversary of Hopewell’s Frog War on Wednesday January 6th at 7 pm at Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 80 West Broad Street in Hopewell.

Railroad historian John Kilbride will present an illustrated program on the history and legacy of the Mercer and Somerset Railroad. This obscure and rural New Jersey rail line became famous not for the trains it ran, but for its fate as a Pennsylvania Railroad proxy in a post Civil War “frog war.” This event occurred in Hopewell Township exactly 140 years ago.

The history of the line and its role in the 1876 skirmish and the resulting development of the state’s rail network will be covered. John will review its short corporate life and the balance that its long legacy has contributed to the state’s railroading heritage. Although it was abandoned more than a century and a quarter ago, John will show numerous portions of the right-of-way and several surviving structures which remain as its legacy.

This program is free and open to the public and appropriate for all ages. Curbside parking is available along West Broad Street and Louellen Street in Hopewell Borough. For more information, visit www.hopewellvalleyhistory.org. Please RSVP to [email protected]

About Us

MercerMe is the only hyperlocal, independent, online news outlet serving Hopewell Valley in Mercer County, New Jersey.

Contact us: [email protected]

Search Our Archives