Wood River Junction, Rhode Island is a small village located in the town of Richmond. It is home to the Chariho school district's main campus, and is otherwise largely turf farms. The village is the site of the former Wood River Branch Railroad Station. The Wood River Branch of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad was chartered in 1872 and completed in 1874. On April 19, 1873 a train disaster was caused by a bridge washout and burning of passenger cars.. The Branch was built to provide service from the Hope Valley to the main line of the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad and was only six miles long. The New Haven Railroad took over operation of the Branch in 1892 and the railroad was abandoned on August 8, 1947. Wood River Junction is commonly considered by locals to be one of the coldest locations in the state of Rhode Island, due to its low lying and flat geography. It is the home of Meadowbrook Pond, also known as Wood River Pond, a popular fishing and swimming area. It is surrounded by two rivers: The Wood River and Pawcatuck River. Image:http://www. richmondri. com/vertical/sites/%7BA34A5CF7-B764-4DA4-B948-6A9B0BEB5604%7D/uploads/%7B826B619E-14B5-468A-BE27-09509F2C0105%7D_Web. jpg