October 3 – Dedication Ceremony (exhibit ongoing)
Air Line State Park Trail, Thompson
In-person, registration is not necessary

A $4,885 Quick Grant from CT Humanities will enable the Town of Thompson to install seven permanent panels at the site of the Great East Thompson Train Wreck that tell the story of the event and link to the full history on the Thompson Historical Society’s website.

Located on the Thompson leg of the Air Line State Park Trail, the signs include a number of “windows to the past” photos taken on the site during the era of the wreck. This installment is the first element of a planned permanent commemorative park at the location, which members of Thompson’s Historical Society and Trails Committee have been designing with the community and assistance from the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance program since January 2020.

Tyra Penn-Gesek, planner for the Town of Thompson, explains, “Thompson intends to make the park at the wreck site a free, engaging gateway to the community, the trail, and the state. It is hoped that visitors will then spend more time in the region, boosting the local economy while gaining an appreciation for Thompson’s unique human stories.”