Perryville

Perryville. A Railroad Town. , Following the 1886 construction of railroad bridges across the Susquehanna River, Perryville's strategic location helped it grow into a busy railroad village. A line extending south from Pennsylvania intersected with the main north-south routes, increasing rail traffic through the area. Perryville became home to two major rail yards where freight trains were broken down and reassembled. The Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Yard (PRR), located on this site, operated from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. During this time, many Perryville families relied on the rail industry for their livelihood., [Captions:] , Looking south, the Pennsylvania Freight Yard and Roundhouse stretched three-quarters of a mile along Broad Street. Its size earned neighboring Front Street the nickname "Box Car Avenue.", Broad Street and Front Street, circa 1900, looking east from the corner of Front Street. At the time, Old Town was bustling with activity, home to two grocery stores, two hardware stores, a drugstore, several restaurants, and a news depot., Note the locomotive crossing sign marking the path trains once took from east to west along Broad Street to the freight yard. The original underpasses remain, look closely to see the size and scale of the bridge still standing today., This photograph captures the impressive scale and raw power of the steam locomotives that once thundered through the freight yard, iron giants that fueled industry and symbolized the golden age of rail.