The Riverside-Albert Railway Station has a rich history dating back to the nineteenth century. At that time, there was a demand for a railway to connect the mines in Albert Mines, the gypsum mill in Hillsborough, and the oil fields of Stoney Creek to the main railway line in Salisbury. This was because the Petitcodiac River would freeze over during winter, making it impossible to transport valuable minerals by ship. As a result, a railway was needed for year-round transportation.

Following Confederation in 1867, Hon. C. A. Peck was elected to the House of Assembly in Fredericton and soon advocated for the construction of a railroad in Albert County. In 1875, a grant was awarded to Thomas McHenry, Hon. John Lewis, and others for the building and operation of a railway from Salisbury to Riverside-Albert.

The contract for constructing the railway was given to the firm McDonald and Co. Although construction began in 1875, the firm soon abandoned the project, and another firm completed the railway in 1876.

In 1888, English bond-holders who had financed most of the railway’s construction foreclosed on it. The railway was sold to C. H. Harman, a New York-based manganese mine owner in Dawson Settlement, Albert County, for $50,000. Harman purchased the railway to ensure uninterrupted transportation for materials mined in the area.

Abram Sherwood became the railway manager in 1900 and managed the railway until 1913. His astute business skills helped the railway generate average yearly earnings between $17,000 and $25,000. In 1911, the government took over the railroad, incorporating it into the Canadian National Railway. Today, the railway station serves as a residence.

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