Tonawanda Railroad
Encyclopedia
Yet another of the bewildering array of small and (however unintentionally) impermanent rail companies of the nineteenth century, the Tonawanda Railroad was Rochester
's first. As happened - both directly and indirectly - to a number of small rail companies, its eventual fate was ingestion by the New York Central
.
had, at first, appeared to be the solution to this problem, but it did not come to Batavia. Instead, since Batavia lacked adequate water resources, Eighteen Mile Creek was selected as the site for scaling the formidable Niagara Escarpment
. In a bit of delicious but not atypical irony, the Tonawanda's two wood-burning locomotives were delivered by canal boat five years after the company was chartered.
to Attica
and eventually Buffalo
. Initially, the route was to have included Scottsville
, Mumford
, Caledonia
, and Le Roy
, but a more direct route to Batavia
left out these towns. This was, to a degree, part of the impetus to build the Scottsville & LeRoy Railroad.
It was only the second railroad to be built in New York State, following the Mohawk and Hudson
, the Albany
-to-Schenectady
road which began 17 April 1827. The name, Tonawanda
, comes from the creek which flows through Batavia, not the two cities north of Buffalo. By one account, there is much question about the name chosen for the railroad, given that the eleven miles of line up the valley of the Tonawanda Creek to Attica was an afterthought. Its construction in 1841 occurred well after the company was founded and named, and even then, the intent was little more than a connection with the Attica and Buffalo. With the completion of the shorter and more direct in 1853 of the Buffalo and Rochester Railroad
, the Attica and Buffalo was sold to the Erie Railroad
.
reached South Byron
by 1836, and service with horse cars
began. The first primary section, 31½ miles from Rochester southwest to Batavia, opened 5 May 1837; the rest of the line followed the valley of the Tonawanda Creek
to Attica by 1842, opening on 8 January 1843.
newspaper wrote:
. That railroad was then one of ten that merged on 17 May 1853 to form the New York Central Railroad
.
The Tonawanda was not related to the Tonawanda Valley Railroad, the Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad, or the Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad, all three of which were merged into the new Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad in 1881. It, in turn, went bankrupt three years later, in some small part as a consequence of having literally built sections of its route over quicksand.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
's first. As happened - both directly and indirectly - to a number of small rail companies, its eventual fate was ingestion by the New York Central
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
.
Background
Like other growing towns and cities, Batavia needed access to affordable and capable commercial transportation resources. The Erie CanalErie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
had, at first, appeared to be the solution to this problem, but it did not come to Batavia. Instead, since Batavia lacked adequate water resources, Eighteen Mile Creek was selected as the site for scaling the formidable Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
. In a bit of delicious but not atypical irony, the Tonawanda's two wood-burning locomotives were delivered by canal boat five years after the company was chartered.
Genesis
The Tonawanda Railroad was chartered on 24 April 1832 for the purpose of building a rail line from RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to Attica
Attica (village), New York
Attica is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. The population was 2,597 at the 2000 census. It is named after a region in Greece.The Village of Attica is on the northern border of Wyoming County...
and eventually Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Initially, the route was to have included Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
, Mumford
Mumford, New York
The hamlet of Mumford lies on the west side of the Town of Wheatland, south of Oatka Creek on NY 36 and south of the terminus of NY 383.-History:The story of Mumford has been written by several local historians...
, Caledonia
Caledonia (village), New York
Caledonia is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,327 at the 2000 census. The name refers to Scotland.The Village of Caledonia is located inside the Town of Caledonia and is southwest of Rochester, Monroe County....
, and Le Roy
Le Roy (village), New York
Le Roy is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 4,462 at the 2000 census.The Village of Le Roy lies in the center of the Town of Le Roy at the intersection of Routes 5 and 19.- History :...
, but a more direct route to Batavia
Batavia (city), New York
Batavia is a city in Genesee County, Western New York, USA, located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the Town of Batavia. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256...
left out these towns. This was, to a degree, part of the impetus to build the Scottsville & LeRoy Railroad.
It was only the second railroad to be built in New York State, following the Mohawk and Hudson
Albany and Schenectady Railroad
The Albany & Schenectady Railroad, originally the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States....
, the Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
-to-Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
road which began 17 April 1827. The name, Tonawanda
Tonawanda Creek
Tonawanda Creek is a small river in Western New York, in the United States. William Bright says the best that can be said of the name is that it is "probably from an Iroquoian source, but of unclear derivation".-Description:...
, comes from the creek which flows through Batavia, not the two cities north of Buffalo. By one account, there is much question about the name chosen for the railroad, given that the eleven miles of line up the valley of the Tonawanda Creek to Attica was an afterthought. Its construction in 1841 occurred well after the company was founded and named, and even then, the intent was little more than a connection with the Attica and Buffalo. With the completion of the shorter and more direct in 1853 of the Buffalo and Rochester Railroad
Buffalo and Rochester Railroad
The Buffalo and Rochester Railroad, like many others of its day, was a short line that lasted a short time.-The gist of the idea:Initially, the germ of the idea for this line came from the perceived need for a rail line to serve Steuben and Livingston Counties in New York. Farmers and merchants in...
, the Attica and Buffalo was sold to the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
.
Construction
The lineWagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...
reached South Byron
Byron, New York
Byron is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. It was named in honor of Lord Byron. The town is on the northern border of the county, and lies northeast of the city of Batavia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census. The local school district, Byron-Bergen Central School District...
by 1836, and service with horse cars
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
began. The first primary section, 31½ miles from Rochester southwest to Batavia, opened 5 May 1837; the rest of the line followed the valley of the Tonawanda Creek
Tonawanda Creek
Tonawanda Creek is a small river in Western New York, in the United States. William Bright says the best that can be said of the name is that it is "probably from an Iroquoian source, but of unclear derivation".-Description:...
to Attica by 1842, opening on 8 January 1843.
Operation
In 1888, the BataviaBatavia (city), New York
Batavia is a city in Genesee County, Western New York, USA, located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the Town of Batavia. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256...
newspaper wrote:
"The Tonawanda railroad was intended to run from Rochester to Buffalo, via of Batavia. In 1836 the road was completed to South Byron, about eight miles Northeast of Batavia, and cars were run as far as that point, horses furnishing the motive power. A year later the road reached Batavia which was then the terminus. The Company then purchased of James BRISBANE, a wealthy merchant and extensive land owner in the village, six acres of land on which to locate their depot. The road as originally mapped out was to run North of Main street in Batavia and the depot was to be located near the present site of Mr. George BRISBANE's residence. It was then the intention to cross the Tonawanda Creek where the Alleghany road bridge now is, and taking the line now followed by the new Buffalo road go direct to Buffalo, but through the influence of men owning the property on the South side of the street, the engineer was induced to change the route and locate it where their property would be more likely to appreciate in value. The Company built their first depot at the corner of Big Tree street (now Ellicott street) and South street, (now Jackson street) in the village of Batavia.
The first ticket agent of the Central road at Batavia was Erastus SEYMOUR, who kept a book and registered the name of every passenger who purchased a ticket. This book came into the possession of Mr. MIX several years ago and was later given to Ellis N. OSBORNE, then the Central's station agent at Batavia. After Mr. OSBORNE's death his son presented the book to the Buffalo Historical Society, which now has it among many interesting and valuable relics of the pioneer days of Western New York.
The first depot was built with the track running through the same and having large doors at each end in which the cars were locked up every night. A track was laid from the depot along Ellicott street to a point near the present site of the Court House, at which point was located the turn-table and water tank. The opening of the road from Rochester to Batavia was celebrated May 8th, 1837, with a grand demonstration, great crowds coming from the surrounding country to see the first locomotive. April 13th, 1840, the Legislature granted an extension of three years time for the completion of the road from Batavia to Attica, and May 1st of that year the State of New York loaned the Tonawanda railroad $100,000 with which to go on with the construction. At Attica the road connected with the Attica & Buffalo Railroad, which had been chartered by the Legislature May 13th, 1836. These roads were completed, and opening of a through line from Rochester to Buffalo via Batavia and Attica was celebrated January 5th, 1843. April 9th, 1850, the Tonawanda Railroad and the Attica and Buffalo Railroad were authorized to consolidate and change the name of the corporations to the Rochester and Buffalo Railroad, and also to shorten the distance between Rochester and Buffalo by the construction of a branch or second line running direct to Buffalo from Batavia. This is the line now occupied by the four tracks of the New York CentralNew York Central RailroadThe New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
."
Terminal
Railroad companies come and railroad companies go, but the physical plant - the land, tracks, and rolling stock - plus the employees and customers have far more enduring value. Thus it was, on 7 December 1850, the Tonawanda Railroad and the Attica and Buffalo Railroad merged to form the Buffalo and Rochester RailroadBuffalo and Rochester Railroad
The Buffalo and Rochester Railroad, like many others of its day, was a short line that lasted a short time.-The gist of the idea:Initially, the germ of the idea for this line came from the perceived need for a rail line to serve Steuben and Livingston Counties in New York. Farmers and merchants in...
. That railroad was then one of ten that merged on 17 May 1853 to form the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
.
The Tonawanda was not related to the Tonawanda Valley Railroad, the Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad, or the Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad, all three of which were merged into the new Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad in 1881. It, in turn, went bankrupt three years later, in some small part as a consequence of having literally built sections of its route over quicksand.
Other sources
- http://books.google.com/books?id=B-5KAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA4-PA150&lpg=RA4-PA150&dq=Tonawanda+Railroad&source=web&ots=lm4W1sZI0R&sig=csJNXH1AWPRKjExyFj2tbs2lT5A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PRA4-PA145,M1