Built by the new york, lake erie, and western railroad and coal company, the structure. Here you will find maps, customers, locomotive rosters, area railroad attractions, trainspotting guide and other items of interest to the local railfan. A history of railroads in western new york dunn, edward t. Jan 20, 2015 as foner details in his new book, gateway to freedom. Visit the homes of harriet tubman and frederick douglass. Rochester stands as an american beacon on several fronts, but none as noteworthy as its african american residents historical contributions to the culture of the united states. All articles, from 1939 to the present, are available online.
This book brings to life the role that rail transportation had in developing an economy that made these contributions possible. Western new york railway historical society, buffalo, ny. Here you will find maps, customers, locomotive rosters, area railroad attractions, trainspotting guide and. The story of the rochester, syracuse and eastern railroad.
Timeline compiled by scot lawrence, rochester, ny october 2006. Frederick douglass family life in rochester the new. Two conrail sw1500 switchers moving ballast cars over the genesee river high falls on a sunny winter day. Later, abolitionism was actively supported in rochester, an important station along the underground railroad. Rochester s union depot rochester s grand bragdon railroad station. Underground railroad pathfinder rochester public library. Several political movements feature in the history of rochester. Rochesters inspiring old railroad stations reconnect. Located just 25 minutes south of rochester, enjoy real train rides and museum tours.
Author rose okeefe has written books on western new york history and on the frederick douglass family in rochester, new york. By rail, rochester junction was 12 miles due south of the city of rochester and surrounded by bucolic farms, forests and streams. Both give sporadic coverage of the rochester branch. Monroe county, new york, named for president james monroe, was created from portions of ontario and genesee counties on february 23, 1821. Rochester history index r monroe county library system. Founded in 1977, abbeville has long been a mainstay in the art book publishing world, and is currently making strides into the digital realm wi. Their house was open to fugitives on the underground railroad. A history of rochester would hardly be complete without some reference to the wonderful underground railroad, which was kept in active operation as long as slavery of the negro race continued.
The rochester branch was scrapped from silver springs south to machias, new york. Freedom trails commission protecting and preserving historical sites the rochester monroe county freedom trail commission serves as the local authority in support of state and national efforts to document, protect and preserve sites and information pertaining to the underground railroad in the rochester. Genesee valley terminal railroad merged to form the pennsylvania and. The book of the rochester centennial monroe county library system. I can certainly attest to the difficulty in finding resources. A supernatural history of the lower genesee haunted. The rochester railway company operated a streetcar transit system throughout the city of rochester from 1890 until its acquisition by rochester transit corp. A history of the negro in rochester, western new york and canada, by howard coles. Many books have been written about frederick douglass early life and later.
Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. Id recommend the book for anyone with an interest in trains, history andor new york city. Buffalo, rochester and pittsburgh railway wikipedia. Settlement began in the late 18th century, and the city flourished with the opening of the erie canal. The word came from the name of the first major company to locate here, the merchants despatch transportation company. The secrecy of its construction, its marvelous origin, the great number of passengers, the amount of freight transported thereon, can never be told.
Find old shots of the rochester subway, trolleys, city panoramas, and local architecture. This guide to underground railroad sites in rochester was published in 1957. Injures 62 state takes rochester rail station project from city left for dead. The story of the rochester, syracuse and eastern railroad and associated lines. Another view of rochester s second ny central railroad depot. The rochester monroe county freedom trail commission serves as the local authority in support of state and national efforts to document, protect and preserve sites and information pertaining to the underground railroad in the rochester area. The organization of the new rail line, the rochester and state line railroad, occurred on 8 april 1869. On november 15, 1912 the genesee valley canal railroad and. This was the rochester canal and railway company this rail line was powered by. As the lehigh valley railroad company was late to the railroad game in western new york building a direct line from geneva, new york to buffalo that opened in 1892, it was linked to rochester by a branch line. From white hots to the garbage plate, wegmans to bill grays, historic photos of rochester is a photographic history collected from the areas top archives. You can also learn quite a bit of information about a house in the local history division of the rochester public library on the second floor of the rundel building. City directories are available going back to 1827 there are some gaps in the early years when they were not produced and those from the 1870s to. The researching new york 2020 conference, the only general statewide history conference, has announced a call for papers.
These pages emphasize the operation of area shortline and mainline railroads. Final approval to construct was granted october 30, 1901 after much opposition from the steam railroads. Rochester began writing a new chapter of its civic history as television made its local debut before a full house audience at the chamber of commerce, which was transformed into. Historical society and the rochester chapter, sons of the american revolution. Specializing in americana, natural history, literature, and the performing arts. The annual library fair in the spring is a popular fundraising event.
In 1904, the first electric underground subway and first 4track express heavy rail line, interborough rapid transit irt in new york city. Browse maps, pictures and histories of abandoned railroad lines in the state of new york. In 1932, the first publicly operated heavy rail line, the independent subway system ind in new york city. With a population of 208,046, rochester is the third most populous city in new york state, after new york city and buffalo. Pecks 1884 semicentennial history of rochester appears as chapter xliii, pages 458462. Construction of the rochester and eastern was begun in 1902, the first grading being done north of canandaigua and on october 1902, the line was finished as far as victor. Brighton, ny was built in 1820 by abolitionist isaac moore. Rochester, syracuse, utica, albany, grand central, cleveland, cincinnati. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Restoration work is nearly complete on the former lehigh valley railroad depot which was built in 1896 in williamsville, new york. This website serves railfans of the greater rochester, finger lakes and western new york areas. Explore a complete history of americas original sports car. Western new york history and frederick douglass history books.
Nov 07, 2010 cross posted by lots of news has been brewing lately over the future of rochesters beatup, 32yearold amtrak station on central avenue. In upper new york state, clifford beebe was one of those dynamic electric railway. Buy products related to new york central railroad products and see what. At the time coal was an important source of fuel to heat both. African american contributions from rochester to the nation. A room, eight feet wide by ten feet long, was discovered under the basement stairs. Rochester s 7th most beautiful train station in the u. From one stop to another on the underground railroad north country books, 2014, is rose okeefes latest effort to show what daily life was like in the 1850s, and what life was like in rochester for families active on the underground railroad this historical fiction is a companion book to okeefes recent book frederick and anna douglass in rochester ny.
Not long after the 1882 station was established, the city of rochester would have four major train stations, the new york central station, the since demolished erie railroad depot, the lehigh valley railroad station that currently houses dinosaur barbque. The monroe county library system has a searchable website where plenty of local railroad history can be found. The following books contain sections about the underground railroad in. The rochester and syracuse railroad was incorporated august 1, 1850, pursuant to chap. His book is part of a larger project that also involves threedimensional imaging using facerecognition software. Its loaded with photos and text that tell the story of this landmark attraction. This article documents the history of rochester, new york, in western new york state. The county already included 28,000 settlers in growing towns and villages that provided agricultural products and market support for the burgeoning mill town known as rochester.
Rochester used to have a beautiful train station designed by claude bragdon in 1914. In 1908, opening of the first interstate underground heavy rail line hudson and manhattan railroad, between new york city and new jersey, todays path. Rails in rochester and monroe county images of rail. Through hundreds of rare and unpublished photos from gms media and design archives, special gatefolds and indepth analysis from noted corvette historian randy leffingwell, corvette. The underground railroad was a network of people, african american as well as white, offering shelter and aid to escaped slaves from the south. The finger lakes is full of historical sites and museums dedicated to leaders of the past that once called this region home harriet tubman harriet tubman escaped from the horrors of slavery in 1849. Designed by renowned architect claude bragdon, the demolition of the third building of the new york central railroad station is, arguably, one of the greatest losses to rochester s architectural scenery and history. Auburn and rochester railroad may, 1836 aug 1, 1850. Passenger trains around new york city 0 your price. Mar 12, 2004 the stuff ive uncovered while writing my book on the the rochester branch has been so interesting. The company remained in business for three years before it was merged with other companies into the new york central railroad. The first trainshed of the auburn railroad, at mill street, in rochester, new. The littleknown history of the underground railroad in new york.
Gibsons brotherinlaw, colonel samuel young, was in the new york senate, and was one of the erie canal commissioners. Seven generations of american high performance celebrates. The hidden history of the underground railroad, new york was a crucial way station from the upper south through pennsylvania and onward to. Such an example is manhattans park avenue, a metonym for oldmoney urban living. The auburn and rochester railroad company was incorporated may, 1836, by chapter 349 of the laws of that year. It became a major manufacturing center, and attracted many italians, germans, irish and other immigrants, as well as a dominant group of yankees of new england origin. Energy for industry in western new york at this time came from pennsylvania coal, and the existing railroads were the sole means of getting it to the rochester area. Rochester and syracuse railroad aug 1, 1850 aug 1, 1853. With around 200 photographs, many of which have never been published, this beautiful coffee table book shows the historical growth from the mid 1800s to the late 1900s of.
The buffalo and rochester railroad was a railroad company formed on december 7, 1850 by the merger of the tonawanda railroad and the attica and buffalo railroad. Read more about researching new york conference call for papers. A system for conducting fugitive slaves to freedom, by florence lee. This is the perfect time to take a step back in timeto be inspired by rochester s grand old stations heres a view of the first new york central railroad station located on the west side of the genesee river, between mill and front streets shown above with state street and the savoy hotel in the foreground. He and his research team have used 3d scanning to map precisely where the various ottoman railway stations differ, zeroing in on the contributions of ontheground laborers, who typically figure little in architectural history. With coordinated routing and expedited service provided by passenger trains, mail by rail could quickly reach its intended destination and was very efficient.
The railroads knew this, and their pricing reflected it. By 1900, some of the countys biggest railroads had been drawn to the rochester and monroe county markets. The finger lakes region holds a historical connection to the underground railroad. While the first underground passenger rail tunnel actually opened in 1897 in boston, it.
Seabreeze park be sure to purchase a copy of the parks new history book, written by author and amusement park historian jim futrell. The conference is planned for november 1921, 2020, at the university at albany. Take a journey back in time to arcade and attica railroad. Thurlow weed published the antimasonic enquirer in rochester, which was a bastion of the antimasonic party from 1828 to 1830. Rochester history edited by blake mckelvey, city historian, volume xxx, no. Abbeville press, headquartered in new york, is an independent publisher of fine art and illustrated books.
E ast rochester was originally called despatch because of its proximity to the railroad. Previously, the rochester, nunda and pennsylvania railroad had. Historic views of rochester, ny weve been busy collecting old photos, slides, and highresolution scans of historic local viewsand now our collection is yours. The effectiveness of the railway post office was in its ability to tap virtually every town in america as by the turn of the 20th century railroads sprawled to serve nearly every one. The mission of the wnyrhs is to preserve our regions rich railroad heritage. This station replaced a wooden structure, known as the auburn railroad shed, in 1852.
By the end of 1853, every railroad line in rochester is the new york central railroad. Rochester history is a journal that covers the history of rochester and western new york. Our railroads offer a short lines customer focus and entrepreneurial spirit on a global scale, investing in longterm relationships with customers in north america, europe and elsewhere. They attracted people and businesses to the area and ensured the flow of products to the marketplace. New york almanack the new york history blog historical. There is an annual fee for rochester residents to use this library. It is rumored that this room led to a secret tunnel and held up to twelve fugitive slaves.
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