[2] The settlement derives its name from the Newfoundland Railway, which ran through the community on its way from Port aux Basques to Corner Brook.

The Hanson Memorial Highway was constructed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to link the railway line at Stephenville Crossing with Harmon Field, which was under construction on the other side of a hill to the north, in Stephenville.

The 1988 abandonment of the railway in Newfoundland by CN resulted in the last train running through Stephenville Crossing to St. George's (return) on June 6, 1990.

[3] When the train tracks were removed, the bridge was used as a route for ATVs travelling south from the town.

It also has a medical clinic with a family doctor, a provincial long-term care centre and a search and rescue unit.