Thursday, November 28, 2013

First trip on Syracuse & Utica Railroad

Otsego Farmer, Cooperstown, N.Y.
Oct. 3, 1919

One Survivor of Old-Time Excursioin
              ____
    DeWitt C. Hadcock of Oneida believes he is the only survivor of the first party to ride over the old Syacuse & Utica Railroad on an excursion over the line on July 4, 1839, soon after its completion.
     The line extended from Syracuse to Utica, where it connected with the Mohawk Valley road in Bagg's Square. The excursion constituted the largest Fourth of July celebration ever held in Utica up to that time. Mr. Hadcock's father was a stockholder, and a director of the company, and Mr. Hadcock had in his possession the original invitation which reads as follows:
"To John Hadcock, Stockbridge, Madison County, N.Y.
     My dear sir - You and your family are invited to an excursion over the Syracuse & Utica Railroad on July 4, 1839, to participate in a celebration in Utica. Dated Syracuse, June 27, 1839
                                  John Wilkinson, President
P.S. - If we have good luck the train will arrive in Oneida about 9 o'clock a.m."
    Mr. Hadcock, his father and sister, rode on the train from Oneida to Utica. He was eight years old at that time but remembers  most of the scenes connected with that trip. The tray consists of thirteen Concord coaches, which had been taken from the old Seneca turnpike and small cast iron wheels had been placed under the bodies. The inside of each coach accommodated about fourteen people and the same number rode on top.
    The connection of the two roads, the old Utica & Schenectady, was at the north end of Bagg's Square. When the connection of the two roads was made, a single locomotive passed slowly over and back again, in the midst of the roar of cannon and cheers of what was estimated at 20,000 people. Following this display, the directors and stockholders repaired to Bagg's Hotel for dinner.
    One of the interesting incidents in connection with the dinner was the blessing which Mr. Bagg, the proprietor, delivered. He said: "We have this day spread before us by the loving kindness of our Heavenly Father, roast beef, roast chicken and roast pig. Declare until yourselves which you will have. Amen."

    The road was fifty-three miles long and was said have cost $400,000 to build. In 1853 it was taken over by the New York Central

Syracuse and Utica Railroad



                          Original Syracuse & Utica station, Syracuse, 1839-69.

Rome Daily Sentinel  March 19, 1889                 
                                                                      
     Forty-Three Years Ago                                            
                                                                      
     "Sam" Purdy's First Run From Utica To Syracuse.                  
                 _____
                                                       
     The Veteran Railroad Engineer Tells Some Of His Experience -     
     A Freight "Train" Of One Car - Two Days On The Road -            
     Light Engines And Heavy Tolls.                                   
                                                                      
                                                                      
   On March 19, 1846, Williston C. Purdy, familiarly know As "Sam" Purdy, the veteran locomotive engineer of this city, ran his first engine from Utica To Syracuse. The Syracuse & Utica Road began operation on July 4, 1839 and Mr. Purdy had been firing on an engine for eight months before he was Promoted to be an engineer. He was born in the village of Oriskany 72 years ago last December and lived there, within forty rods of his birthplace, till he was 22 years old. He learned the machinist's trade and then went to work for the railroad company.
   He ran on the Syracuse & Utica Road, afterward the New York Central and then enter the employ of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad, and was in active service until January, 1884, since which time he has taken life easy.  A Sentinel Reporter who called on Mr. Purdy at his present home at 215 West Dominick Street, found him the same hale and hearty man that he has always been. He said he felt just as well as he ever did in his life except that he was troubled more or less by rheumatism.                                      
  "Yes, it is 43 years ago today since I ran my first engine over the Syracuse & Utica Road," said Mr. Purdy.  "It was a freight train and a very primitive one at that. The train consisted of one freight car. You see there wasn't much freight to carry by rail then. The canal was used for freight business. Why, when the road was started it was not allowed to carry any freight at all, as it was considered that the canal would be ruined if the railroad came into competition with it.
   "After awhile the railroad was allowed to run freight trains by paying the canal tolls to the state and they had to pay these tolls winter and summer, too. The first year of freight business one car constituted a freight train, but after awhile the railroads won the day. Fare for passengers was five cents a mile and freights were just what the company chose to charge and they were heavy enough, I tell you. They had to charge heavily, for they had canal tolls to pay,  you know.                                                                
  "The first trip that I made from Utica to Syracuse took me two days, and only one car, too. And only one car, too. That was slow work, wasn't it?  Well,  the engine was small and light, and it was difficult to keep steam up. We sometimes had to stand still an hour to get up enough steam to draw the one car. The engine weighed 13 to 15 tons, and the tender held 300 to 500 gallons of water. In these days freight engines weigh engines weigh 50 to 55  tons, and tenders hold 2,000 gallons of Water. Only small packages were sent by freight in those days. It was a kind of an express business."                                                            
  "Talking about the express business, I remember when the old man Wells, who afterward became the head of the great express firm of Wells, Fargo & Co., began business. He began in a very humble way, too. It was in1840 that Wells began business, and he ran from Syracuse to Albany and back. He carried all his packages in a hand satchel and rode in a regular coach. I recollect him as well as though it were yesterday. He used to occupy two seats and open his bag and sort out hi s packages as he went along.  Of course, he carried nothing heavy; mostly packages and other valuables. These he used to hand to the agents at the stations and they would send them to the persons to whom they were addressed. Wells was on the road all the time, and there were several years that I don't think he spent a night in bed. He got what sleep he could on the cars and kept pegging away. He did all his own business, and had to keep pretty busy.             
  "But, to return to the freight business. I often think about the freight and passenger traffic in those days. Rates were high and service poor, as compared with the present day, and people seemed well satisfied. Freight cars were much smaller than now. They carried only six to eight tons and now they carry 25 tons."



Monday, November 4, 2013

Lehigh Valley shops, Sayre, Pa.



Lehigh Valley station, Rochester, N.Y.


D&H station, Plattsburgh, N.Y.


Delaware & Hudson depot, Cobleskill, N.Y.


New York Central station, Amsterdam, N.Y.


Erie station, Deposit, N.Y.


Rutland station, Malone, N.Y.


New York Central station, Fort Plain, N.Y.





New York, Ontario & Western RR station, Middletown


New York Central depot, Hudson, N.Y.


"New" D&H Roundhouse at Oneonta


New York Central Station, Ossining, N.Y.