From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 117:
STAGES OVER THE "FOREST LINE"–DEAN BUTTERFIELD A POPULAR DRIVER–TIME TABLES
During stage times in this vicinity Dean Butterrfield, a well known driver over the "Forest Line," used to relate the following anecdote to the "outside passengers" who rode with him. On those old coaches it was always considered the most desirable place to ride on the outside, and there were often as many as six on the top of the coach with the driver. Two or three sat on the driver's seat, and three or four on the stage roof, with their feet hanging down back of those who were with the driver. There was always an iron railing around the side and rear of the coach that extended to the front edge of the driver's seat so there was little danger of any person, or thing, falling off that was once placed on the roof. It was possible to enjoy the scenery here, and not the least appreciated part was the entertaining stories told by most of the drivers.
Mr. Butterfield would inform any passengers who were timid at the coach being over crowded, that: "I once took 22 passengers safely from Bellows Falls into Boston including one man who weighed 280 pounds, and he rode all the way on a trunk placed for him on the top of this very stage. It happened on that trip that John Quincy Adams and his wife were among the inside passengers. They had been visiting Saratoga Springs. Mr. Adams asked me on arriving at Nashua, the end of my route, to continue on to Boston, because he 'felt perfectly safe with such a driver.' So I changed with the Lowell driver and went into Boston with my stage [118 ] and 22 people all right. There was on the Forest Road at that time a very large amount of travel in the spring summer and fall-'people went to the Springs in the summer and to the Falls in the spring'-as the great Dodge used to say at his concerts. There were few mammoth trunks in those days and all baggage paid extra charges. In the winter the passengers were mostly business men going to and from Boston markets."
The "Forest Line" turnpike was an extension of the Green Mountain turnpike which came from Rutland, crossing the Connecticut river at South Charlestown, four miles north of Bellows Falls, and continuing via Alstead and Surry to Keene and Boston.
An advertisement in the Bellows Falls Gazette in 1839 gives information regarding the facilities of staging and railroad transportation between Bellows Falls and Boston in that year. The advertisement was surmounted by a large cut of an old-fashioned stage coach drawn by six prancing horses and was as follows:
"NEW ARRANGEMENTS
"Forest Line of Stages
"LEAVES Bellows Falls, Vermont, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 4 A. M. via Drewsville, N. H., Alstead, Marlow, Stoddard, Hancock, Greenfield, Lyndeboro, Wilton, Milford and arrives in Nashua in season for the 4-1/2 o'clock Train of Cars for Boston the same day.
"RETURNING, leaves Nashua on the arrival of the Morning Train of Cars from Boston Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and arrives at Bellows Falls at 9 o'clock P. M.
"STAGES LEAVE BELLOWS FALLS the next morning for Troy, Albany and Saratoga via Townshend and Stratton.
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"For Montpelier via Charlestown and W oodstock–for Middlebury and Burlington, Chester and Rutland.
"This is considered the best route from the Connnecticut river to Boston.
"BUSS, MORRISON & CO., Props.
"Bellows Falls, June 1, 1839."