(Music) Welcome to Windows to the Wild.

I'm Willem Lange.

Over 170 years ago, the Northern Railroad laid track that carried freight and passengers into central New Hampshire.

Well, the Northern Railroad now is long gone, but some of the track remains.

There is a section of it right here, that has come to be used for something quite different from its original purpose.

If you're up to the task, leg power moves rail bikes along what's left of New Hampshire's Northern Railroad.

I'm here because of Marshall.

I read a story about the Rail Riders in New Hampshire Magazine.

It intrigued me and I had to meet the person who wrote it.

I don't consider myself a writer, but I've been writing lately, and I've been writing for New Hampshire Magazine.

I've read some of that stuff.

It’s very... You're good.

Well, thank you.

I hate to admit it, but you really are good.

You make me jealous.

Well, thank you.

Marshall’s story about the Rail Riders describes more than the experience.

He writes about discoveries he made along the way.

Now, this six mile section of track, as three major historical sites on it.

Right.

At least three.

There's three three significant ones.

The Sewalls Falls Dam would be the first one.

That provided hydroelectric power for most of the Concord area for a long time.

As you continue up, probably the next historical figure would be the old Penacook Railroad Depot down here.

And that's where the train crash occurred.

It was.

Some high school kids with a rifle shot the padlock off the switching post.

They were able to then turn the switch and the rails shifted.

And so a southbound train coming this way took the landing at full speed.

The third historic site is just up the tracks from where we are.

It's a statue.

There was a raid on the colonial village.

Some say it was inspired by the French.

They encouraged, the the Native Americans to attack the village.

They did.

And then they took captives, including Hannah Duston, her newborn baby and their nurse.

They kidnaped her.

They killed her baby, and she killed her abductors and scalped them and escaped back to Haverhill.

If you view her from that perspective, she's a hero.

Others view her as a villain.

Marshall's work as a land surveyor helped him find this story.

Back on the tracks, visitors can write their own stories.

When you're outdoors, you know, anything can happen.