Back in the day, train deliveries and train travel were a vital part of life in Windham. This is the South Windham station or depot. The street name was changed from Cross Street to Depot Street with the advent of rail lines. Chartered in 1867, the first train passed from Portland to Sebago Lake in September, 1870. The train spelled doom for the Cumberland/Oxford Canal, which ran parallel to the train tracks, and had provided a travel lane for shipping goods. There were two train stations, one at Newhall and one in South Windham, and six trains a day plus extras. Many industries in Windham depended on the train including the woolen mill, pulp mill, lumber mill, grain mill and powder mill. The train also carried mail. In a six-month period from October, 1872 through March, 1873, more than 800 tons of pressed hay was sent from Windham to Boston. People used the train to get to work in Portland and students traveled to school in the city. The South Windham station was closed in 1981. Photo courtesy of Windham Historical Society
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