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Thompson, Connecticut: A Train Wreck and the First Paved Oval

Thompson, Connecticut

Pictures from Thompson

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Quaddick Reservoir Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Thompson Hill Common

Thompson was incorporated in 1785, named for English landholder Sir Robert Thompson, in Connecticut's northeastern corner bordering Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The town comprises ten villages, and the area was the site of a colonial-era indigenous village called Maanexit. On December 4, 1891, the Great East Thompson Train Wreck put four trains into collision in fog — one of the only accidents in U.S. history to involve four trains — killing engineer Harry Tabor and fireman Jeremiah Fitzgerald and destroying roughly 500 yards of track. Architect Ithiel Town, one of the first professional architects in the United States, was born in Thompson in 1784; the Old Town Hall he is believed to have designed now houses the Thompson Historical Society. Thompson's mill era centered on North Grosvenordale, where an 1872 brick cotton mill gave the village its name. Thompson Speedway, breaking ground in 1938, was the first asphalt-paved racing oval in the United States.

  1. Swimming, boating and fishing on Quaddick Lake.

  2. The first asphalt-paved racing oval in the United States.

  3. A working farm with a seasonal corn maze and nature walks.

  4. Local history museum in the Old Town Hall.

  5. A 100-plus-building mill village listed on the National Register.

  6. ANYA

    food

    Fine dining with seasonal menus.

  7. Long-running diner-style restaurant in North Grosvenordale.

  8. Boutique B&B on Thompson Hill.

A four-train wreck and a mill village

Thompson was incorporated in 1785, named for English landholder Sir Robert Thompson, in the state's northeastern corner bordering Massachusetts and Rhode Island. On December 4, 1891, the Great East Thompson Train Wreck put four trains into collision in fog — one of the only accidents in U.S. history to involve four trains — killing engineer Harry Tabor and fireman Jeremiah Fitzgerald and destroying roughly 500 yards of track; the line was rerouted rather than rebuilt. Architect Ithiel Town, one of the first professional architects in the United States, was born in Thompson in 1784; the Old Town Hall he is believed, though not proven, to have designed now houses the Thompson Historical Society. Thompson's mill era centered on North Grosvenordale, where an 1872 brick cotton mill built by the Grosvenor-Dale Company gave the village its name; the surrounding mill village, with more than 100 houses and structures, was listed on the National Register in 1993.

Getting there

Interstate 395 runs the length of Thompson before crossing into Massachusetts, signed the American Ex-Prisoner of War Memorial Highway. Take Exit 50 (Route 200) for Thompson and North Grosvenor Dale, Exit 49 (Route 12) for Grosvenor Dale, or Exit 47 (US 44) for the Putnam/Woodstock side. I-395 connects south to I-95 at the East Lyme/Waterford line and north to I-90 at Auburn, Massachusetts. There is no passenger rail station in Thompson; the CTrail Hartford Line runs well to the west along the I-91 corridor, and Shore Line East runs along the shoreline and does not reach northeastern Connecticut.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Thompson?
By car — Interstate 395 runs the length of the town. Take Exit 50 (Route 200) for Thompson and North Grosvenor Dale, or Exit 49 (Route 12) for Grosvenor Dale. There is no passenger rail station in Thompson.
Is there a train to Thompson?
No. Neither the CTrail Hartford Line nor Shore Line East reaches northeastern Connecticut, and no Metro-North or Amtrak stop exists in or near Thompson.
What happened at the Great East Thompson Train Wreck?
On December 4, 1891, a dispatcher's routing error in fog put four trains into collision — one of the only accidents in U.S. history to involve four trains. Two crew members were killed and the line was rerouted rather than rebuilt.
What is Thompson Speedway?
A motorsports venue that broke ground in 1938 and opened in 1940, billed as the first asphalt-paved racing oval in the United States. It has hosted 159 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races since 1985, more than any other track.
Is there a hotel in Thompson?
The Watson Boutique Bed and Breakfast on Thompson Hill is the only conventional traveler lodging verified inside Thompson. The Inn at Woodstock Hill, about 6 miles southwest, is another option, though its restaurant is open for private events only.

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