Annals of the Beaver River

Beaver River depot, front facing the tracks Living in a railroad depot in the 1930s may seem like a dream come true, especially to an adventurous child. There was the excitement of trains constantly arriving and departing, travelers passing through, and heaps of interesting freight being loaded or unloaded. A vivid account of the life of a child of the Beaver River station agent unfolds in the written reminiscences of Joyce Partridge Vohnoutka. Joyce was born in 1930, the next to youngest child of Ethel Wetmore Partridge and her husband William, the station agent. For reasons that will soon become clear, Joyce’s memories center on 1940, the year she turned 10. The Beaver River railroad depot was built in 1892. Photos of old depots along the Adirondack Division line show that the basic features were roughly the same, but each depot was customized to fit the needs of the location. The depots were rectangular with a roof that had substantial eaves extending over the platform to provide so...