Feature Exhibits

The Boston and Maine Railroad introduced the Flying Yankee in early 1935. It was the first streamliner to operate east of the Mississippi. The Flying Yankee was a 3-car articulated streamliner with stainless steel car bodies that offered the most modern rail technology. The new train inspired awe and admiration throughout New England as nobody had ever seen anything quite like it. The cost of the new streamliner was an astounding $276,000.

The Flying Yankee made a barnstorming tour of the Boston and Maine system in February and March of 1935, stopping in Keene on March 22nd. It was put into service on the Boston, Portland and Bangor run on April 1st, reducing the time of the 250 mile trip by more than one hour. The Boston and Maine issued a multi-page booklet with color illustrations to market their new sensation. The booklet declared that the Flying Yankee was the Boston and Maine’s "answer to New England's call for greater speed, maximum comfort and the utmost in safe, economical travel." The title of the exhibit takes its name from this booklet.

Southwest New Hampshire had already felt the impact of the railroad for more than 90 years before the introduction of the Flying Yankee. The opening of the Cheshire Railroad in 1848 changed the very nature of life in the region. Local residents were amazed by the passenger train that rolled into Keene in May of 1848, much as they were by the Flying Yankee four generations later. The New Hampshire Sentinel reported that Keene's first train "presented a picture of strength and beauty" such as the people had never seen before. One elderly woman exclaimed that she had now seen everything and was ready to meet her maker. The railroad revolutionized the transportation of people and freight in the county. Keene transformed from a village to a bustling industrial city and the economic center for the entire region with rail lines branching out in four directions. The railroad itself became the city’s largest employer by the end of the nineteenth century.

The Flying Yankee was renamed the Cheshire in 1944. From December of that year through April of 1952 the Cheshire ran from Boston, through Keene, to Bellows Falls and White River Junction, Vermont. By that time the railroad was already feeling considerable pressure from other forms of transportation. Passenger service to Keene was discontinued in 1958. Freight service continued into the 1980s.

Speed, Safety and Comfort: A History of the Railroad in Cheshire County illustrates the story of the railroad from its construction through its demise, including the technology, the impact of the road, the workers, the businesses that used the local lines, the Cheshire Railroad repair shops, and many other aspects of railroad history in the Monadnock Region. The exhibit will be on view in HSCC's Exhibit Hall through Friday, April 27, 2012 during regular museum hours. Gallery walks, railroad programs, and a field trip will accompany the exhibit, so please visit our Calendar page to learn more about the exhibit's associated programs. For further information, please contact HSCC by email or at 352-1895.

The Historical Society offers at least two temporary feature exhibits each year. These exhibits tend to focus on Cheshire County history, yet often include traveling exhibits from other state historical societies and museums that share pieces of our history in Cheshire County.

Future Exhibits

May 2012 - September 2012  - Taverns in Cheshire County
November 2012 - June 2013  - Water Powered Mills & Mill Life
July 2012 - September 2013  - Wright's Silver Polish
November 2013 - June 2014  - Cheshire County During the Civil War