The railroad began as the Athol & Enfield Railroad, chartered in 1869, later becoming part of the Springfield, Athol & Northeastern Railroad in 1873 and then the Boston & Albany Railroad’s Athol Branch from 1880.

It ran from Springfield north through the Swift River Valley to Athol, about 47–50 miles, with dozens of stops in small villages along the way — including North Dana, Soapstone (in Prescott), Greenwich Village, Smith’s Village, and Enfield before reaching farther towns.

Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott were small rural communities in the Swift River Valley with farms, mills, schools, and local life.

The railroad was vital — transporting people, mail, milk, ice, farm goods, textiles, and more — and linked these towns with larger markets and cities.

• The last run of the Rabbit Run was on June 1, 1935.

• Soon after, the Quabbin Reservoir project — designed to supply water to Boston — led to the disincorporation and flooding of these towns in 1938.

Today, remnants of the rail bed, and even discussions of a Rabbit Run Rail Trail, keep the memory alive.