HUDSON – In the early years of the twentieth century, Hudson and Bolton were connected by a stagecoach line.
As Bolton Center did not have railroad service, beginning in 1905 William “Bill” Dow ran a stagecoach between the two towns. Dow met the Hudson trains, and carried the mail, small freight and passengers to Bolton.
Dow lived in Bolton, next to the post office, and kept the stagecoach in a barn which was located there. It was a long, cold ride in the winter, even with the side curtains closed, and bumpy, as the runners traveled over the snow.
Riding with the driver in the front seat of the coach was a small lighted oil stove. In the two back seats, straw and hot bricks on the floor kept the passengers’ feet comfortable. All this for just twenty-five cents per person!
Bill Dow drove the coach until 1921, when it was taken over by John Smith, also of Bolton.
Due to the increasing popularity of the automobile, the stagecoach line was abandoned in 1924. In nice weather, it’s easy to imagine a stagecoach ride being a very pleasant experience.
