By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
The active freight service on the Camden and Amboy Railroad came to an end before the year 2000 but as long as the village of Windsor exists the legacy of the line will live on thanks to a local Girl Scout.
Julianna Lubbe, a 17-year-old Windsor resident and senior at Allentown High School, said the Windsor train stop was of great importance as it was the midpoint between New York City and Philadelphia and was also essential to the village’s industrial and agricultural growth. For her Gold Award, she focused on preserving the history of the Camden and Amboy Railroad that once ran through town by creating informational signs in Windsor Park containing the timeline, facts and stories about the railroad tracks.
In interviewing lifelong resident Shirley Bouchelle, she discovered personal stories about the rail line. Ms. Bouchelle remembered life in Windsor when the Camden and Amboy rail line was still running. As a child she saw trains passing through Windsor carrying World War II soldiers. The soldiers would wave to her and throw letters from the train with instructions to send the mail to their families. Ms. Bouchelle also said homeless people would walk down the tracks carrying their belongings in sacks tied to sticks. Her mother would welcome them into the family’s home and cook them lunch.
According to Julianna’s research, Windsor was originally called Magrilla, but the name became Centerville following the construction of the railroad as it became a central location for surrounding towns. Centerville changed its name to Windsor following the creation of the post office in the village because there was already a Centerville in Hudson County. By the 1840s, thanks in part to the rail line, Windsor was the largest village between Hightstown and Yardville. Today, Windsor is on the National Register of Historic Places and has 64 homes, according to Julianna.
The informational signs she placed in Windsor Park describe the journey of the Camden and Amboy rail line, which began in 1812, as well as the history of the expansion of Windsor. The signs state that Col. John Stevens urged the construction of the railroad from New York to Philadelphia and in 1826 he built a steam-powered rail car. In February 1831, the rail route, which followed the Bordentown Amboy Turnpike, was surveyed. In August 1831, construction of the railroad on “stone sleepers” began north of Bordentown and eventually made its way through Centerville. In 1832, the Windsor Hotel was built and the village expanded. In 1840, the Windsor Methodist Church opened. The Windsor Post Office opened in 1846.
Besides creating the new signs, Julianna had the historical Windsor signs refurbished. These signs are located near the village’s busiest intersection, which is adjacent to the park on South Main Street. She also planted flowers and bushes near the entrance to the park.
Julianna said she knew she wanted to go for the Girl Scout’s Gold Award since she learned about it when she first joined Scouting at the age of 7.
“I left the meeting saying I’m going to do that,” she said. “And now I really like all of the leadership skills I gained from going through with it. I learned that there’s a fine line between delegating and making teamwork happen.”
Although she loves history, Julianna said her dream is to work as a nurse in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“It’s not history but it’s still important,” she said, adding that she wants a service-oriented career.
She thanked Izone for making the informational signs, Robbinsville’s Department of Public Works for helping set up the signs and the park, Robbinsville’s Historic Preservation Subcommittee for providing about $3,500 in historic preservation funding for the project, her parents for always supporting her, Chris Ciaccio for being her project mentor, and Jean Ward for being her project advisor.
Julianna said she hopes Windsor residents and people passing through will take the time to stop in the park and learn about the significance of Windsor and the history of the rail line that once ran through it. She hopes she did her part in helping bring the little village’s history to life.
