Author Hatchette visits Parish House Museum

BROWNVILLE — On the weekend of Oct. 13-15 author Ken Hatchette visited the Parish House Museum as his new book “More Than a Train Yard and a Whistle Stop: The Canadian Pacific Railway’s Brownville Division 1886 to 1963” was presented for the first time.

Upon arrival Hatchette signed each of the 200 books in the first printing of the book. For the rest of the weekend he greeted old friends with whom he grew up in Brownville Junction and met new friends who had some connection with the Junction, the Canadian Pacific or were just railroad fans.

During the weekend pre-purchased books were picked up and new books were purchased with sales totaling nearly 150 books. Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society president Susan Worcester commented, “This is quite remarkable considering that over 100 of those sales were made prior to the book being available for review. People gladly pre-paid for a book they hadn’t seen because they were intrigued by the topic, they remember Ken from his youth in Brownville Junction, or, perhaps they just lived in the Junction or love railroads. Whatever the reason, this book that has been gifted to the society by Ken is already a success.”

The book chronicles the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s (originally known as the International Railway of Maine) development in Brownville Junction from the land purchases made by the railroad through the “glory years” of railroading to the decline in railroading in the early 1960s. It also tracks the building of a town. Henderson, as it was originally known, came to be because of the railroad. Prior to that the area was farmland. How this came to be is a most interesting story. The book includes information about the buildings and infrastructure of the railroad, job descriptions of those who worked on the railroad in the community and the services that came to this small town because of its connection with the railroad.

Remaining copies of the book can be purchased at Simple Sacks in Brownville or by contacting Worcester at 965-8070.

Contributed photo
QUITE A MEETING — “More Than a Train Yard and a Whistle Stop: The Canadian Pacific Railway’s Brownville Division 1886 to 1963” author Ken Hatchette, left, met Andrew Michaud during a recent book signing at the Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society’s Parish House Museum. Michaud traveled from Scarborough to meet the author, and Michaud, 91, was the best man at the wedding of Hatchette’s parents.

Contributed photo
REMEMBERING DAYS GONE BY — From left, Dick Dorion, Ken Hatchette and Rodney Washburn share memories of growing up in Brownville Junction during Hatchette’s recent visit to the Parish House Museum.