Learn the History of Enoch Train – A Dot Resident Who Ran The Most Successful Line of Sailing Ships between Boston and Liverpool

The Dorchester Historical Society will host a special event on Sunday to discuss the book, “Transatlantic Train: The Untold Story of the Boston Merchant Who Launched Donald McKay to Fame,” by Vincent J. Miles.

So who is Enoch Train? Well, Train was a longtime resident of Dorchester during the nineteenth century who became one of the era’s most important maritime figures in Boston. During the 1840s and 1850s, he operated the most successful line of sailing ships between Boston and Liverpool known as the White Diamond Line.  During this period, he became the chief champion and patron of Donald McKay—one of the greatest shipbuilders in history.

“Transatlantic Train” is the first-ever biography of Enoch Train, a prominent figure in his day but practically unknown today. This book tells the story of Train but also reveals the rivalries between the United States and Britain, New York and Boston, sail and steam. Also included in the book are events like The Great Famine in Ireland, the California Gold Rush, and the rising tensions between North and South over slavery. 

According to the Dorchester Historical Society, the naming of Train Street appears to come from Enoch Train.  He owned property bordering on Adams Street, all the way to Tenean Creek from 1830-1863.

Another interesting fact about Train

In 1849, one of the many thousand immigrants Train’s line brought to Boston was Patrick Kennedy, great-grandfather of President John F. Kennedy.

“Transatlantic Train: The Untold Story of the Boston Merchant Who Launched Donald McKay to Fame” will be available to purchase on Sunday.

Here the info. on the event:

images via the Dorchester Historical Society – you can read more about Train here.