Boston is the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Well, it is actually the capital of the New England States, the six states of which Massachusetts is a part of. Boston is famous for its sports teams. You have the Boston Red Sox, a professional baseball team that is part of Major League Baseball that play at Fenway Park, one of the most famous baseball stadiums in the United States of America. You have the Boston Bruins, a professional hockey team that plays in the National Hockey League. You have the New England Revolution, a professional soccer team that is part of Major League Soccer. You have the New England Patriots, an American football team that plays in the National Football League that have won six championships. Then you have the Boston Celtics, a professional basketball team that is part of the National Basketball Association. The Boston Celtics are the most championed team in the National Basketball Association and the third most championed team in North America. (Number two is the Montreal Canadiens, and number one is the New York Yankees.) As for sports championships, Boston is the second most championed city behind New York City, New York.
Boston is a famous sports city, but it is also a city with a lot of history with many historic sites. The famous ride of Paul Revere took place here. The city is famous for the Boston Tea Party. You cannot forget Samuel Adams who led rebellions against the British here. It is the home of the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship in the world. Yes, this ship can be summoned to fight in a war. The city also has history in its suburbs. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, and the famous ‘Shot Heard Around the World’ happened at Concord Bridge in Concord.
The city of Boston is also where you will find the largest bypass in the nation. Interstate 495, not to be confused with the Interstate 495’s in Washington D.C. and Wilmington, Delaware, is the longest bypass, a highway that takes vehicle traffic around a town or major city, in the nation beginning south of the city and allowing drivers to go west past the main region of Boston. As you drive along this bypass, you come upon the suburb of Hudson. As you drive along Interstate 495, you see signs for ‘The Rail Trail’.
Some of you are saying, “The Rail Trail? There are millions of rail trails in the United States and around the word.”
That is true, but there is something special about ‘The Rail Trail’ in Hudson, Massachusetts. What is special about it?
As you see the sign on the highway, being a railroad fan, you are very curious to see what it is. Of course, you are going to check it out. What is ‘The Rail Trail’?
The Rail Trail Flatbread Company is a restaurant located in the town center of Hudson, Massachusetts. They are mainly famous for their flatbreads and their beers, but they serve other food as well. As you are being served by a great group of people, you wonder how the name came about.
The Rail Trail gets its name from the numerous rail trails in the town. What is special about rail trails? Rail trails were built along old railroad beds. Was this a railroad town?
Before it was Hudson, it was called Fentonville. The town of Fentonville had two train stations, and the railroad played a significant role in the town being a factory town. The train stations closed in the 1960’s. Many of the railroad lines were eventually converted to the rail trails today. Today, the Rail Trail Flatbread Company restaurant commemorates the significance of the railroad to the region. How is the food? The best way to find out is to visit the restaurant itself.
The Rail Trail Flatbread Company is located at 33 Main Street (Massachusetts Route 62) in Hudson, Massachusetts with a second location at 233 Main Street (Massachusetts Route 16) in Milford. The restaurant does not have its own parking, but there are parking areas nearby. You can get information on its menus and hours and into the restaurant’s history at Rail Trail Flatbread Company | Wood-fired Flatbreads & Brunch in Hudson & Milford, MA.
The next time you hear about Boston, Massachusetts, you think of the sports teams, you think of history, and you think of a little restaurant that serves great flatbreads by great people.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 