Fire destroyed depot and Hamilton House on October 23, 1908. A temporary depot and combine served until a new depot was built the following year.
By the late Art McLeod and Richard Palmer
The railroad station in Central Square, N.Y. was jointly used by the New York Central and the New York, Ontario & Western railroads. The station was built by the NYO&W but operating costs were shared by the two lines. The switching tower (now demolished) was built by the Central.
After looking through the histories of the village of Central Square and Oswego County, I can find little information about the station and very little about the railroads. The original Central Square Station was built about 1869. The first Midland train passed through Central Square on October 1, 1869. Regular passenger service commenced between Norwich and Oswego on November 25, 1869. The Syracuse Northern between Syracuse and Sandy Creek opened with a grand excursion on November 6, 1871. Mail was first carried on January 1, 1872.
The depot has always been located on what is still called Railroad Avenue. The original building design was a standard station, built along the Northern Division-batten and board, with large eaves and slate roof. Similar stations were built at Caughdenoy, West Monroe, Pennelville etc. In some stations, living quarters were provided for the depot agent on the second floor. A good example of this is the Wicks family in Caughdenoy.
The original station stood until early on the morning Oct. 23, 1908 when sparks from a locomotive on a passing freight train started a grass fire that quickly spread. In short order flames destroyed the depot and freight house and the adjacent Hamilton House hotel and barns. The loss on the Hamilton House alone was placed at $5,000, with $2,500 insurance. The loss on the railroad buildings was not estimated. The household goods of the hotel, owned by Mrs. John Hamilton, were saved, but there was no way of fighting the fire.
The Hamilton House Hotel was located just north of the depot. The Hamilton family enjoyed the close proximity to the station as they were able to meet many interesting travelers. To them it was exciting to meet snowbound passengers, like the time the train was stalled in 1880 between the station and the crossing. It was patronized by traveling salesmen. Many would spend a week here, rent a buggy and call on stores and other businesses in the area.
These people were known as “drummers.” Celia Hamilton built a house on the approximate site, which is still an attractive home today. The loss of the Hamilton House was a sad day for travelers as it provided refuge for passengers stuck in the snow, particularly near the old Dry Bridge cut. By trudging up to the Hamilton House they were able to find warmth, good food and accomodations.
As mentioned, the station was used by both lines. The O&W was built in 1869 as the New York & Oswego Midland. The north-south line, the Syracuse & Northern, the north-south line, was completed to Sandy Creek in 1871. The lines cross on a diamond protected by signals. Interchange and sidings were built east and north of the station. Freight houses were built on this location as well as oil bulk plants. The Syracuse Northern became the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg, later New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail and now CSX. We referred to them as Central and the O & W. Both railroads had frequent passenger service. The railroads provided frequent passenger service.
The station was the center of travel and communication for the village. In view of the vital service, it seems that more was not recorded about the activities with the railroads and the station.
Lillian Watson, in her 80’s said she came to Central Square from Pierrepont Manor in 1916. Her father, Mr. Pitkins, worked on the Central as a section foreman from Morris, through Central Square to Brewerton. A five man crew was required. She recalled the name of Levy and Burdick as crew members. Lillian said that her family liked to fish at the dam in Caughdenoy and by borrowing a railroad velocipede from one of the tower operators , the family would spend a day or a few hours along the banks of the Oneida River. Local children loitered around the station and in the winter skated on a nearby pond, where the Catholic Church Parish now stands.
Frequent train service on the Central to Syracuse allowed Lillian to do the family shopping. By taking the 3 p.m. train to the city she was able to buy fresh vegetables and other grocery items at the Mohican Market, do other errands, then return to Central Square on the 6 p.m. train. Morning trains to Syracuse at 7, 9 and
11 A.M. and afternoon trains at 3, 4:12, and 6 and 9 p.m. The service was good and it was free as she had a pass.
Lillian remembered two tower men named Boyke and Phillips. Since the kids lived near the station and spent a lot of time there the operators and section men were like family.
Mr. Earl Getman recalled a section foreman on the O&W by the name of John Bowen. Earl's father, Arthur, was the station agent for 30 years. Earl recalled the name of the tower men: Ray Geersworth, Ed Wands, Cleon Marks, and Howard Riker. Earl said that sleighs and carriages met the trains to take travelers up to the village center, which was about three quarters of a mile. Vernon Goettel remembered the railroad station very well as he was down there every day to pick up newspapers. He had a paper route. Later as a business man, he owned and operated a lumber yard and feed mill. He was in constant touch with the railroads for delivery information on cars of lumber or feed.
Vernon was a great help to the Central New York Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society on how the station looked when it was in operation. Vernon also mentioned the importance of the rail lines were to development of markets for agricultural products such as milk, strawberries, hay, onions, etc. He pointed out that most every village had a milk plant or receiving station. Central Square had a good size milk plant and in Pennelville, the Borden's plant. The Borden plant manufactured powdered milk and a Variety of lactic concentrates. A New York, Ontario & Western public timetable dated November 24, 1912 shows trains stopping at Central Square, northbound, at 10:14 a.m., 4:42 p.m. and 7:16 p.m.; southbound at 7:29 a.m., 9:50 a.m. and 3:35 p.m. Rail motor car service to Oswego through Central Square had ended on June 22, 1929. The last of the regular passenger service on this line, trains #9 and #10, were discontinued on December 15, 1931.
Last passenger service to Oswego on New York, Ontario & Western Railway
Public Timetable, April 28, 1929
Train 1-9 Daily (Discontinued December 15, 1931)
Leave Sidney 2:33 p.m.
Train 10-2 Daily
Leave Oswego 6:50 a.m.
Arrive Sidney 1:28 p.m.
Train #41 Motor Car (Cut back to Randallsville, June 27, 1929)
Leave Norwich 9:01 a.m.
Arrive Oswego 11:55 a.m.
Train #42 Motor Car
Leave Oswego 1:40 p.m.
Arrive Norwich 6 p.m.
Middletown Times Herald
January 14, 1932
Subsequent employee timetables show no scheduled trains to Oswego except the New York Central's two passenger trains between Fulton and Oswego. The only milk train running on the Northern Division shown is running between Sidney and Oneida.
Utica Daily Press, December 16, 1931
Passenger Service is Discontinue
____
Oneida, Dec. 15 - Beginning Wednesday, all passenger service between Oneida and Oswego will be discontinued. After that date trains numbers 9 and 10 will be made up and their runs at Oneida, rather than Oswego as has been the case ever since the opening of this railroad.
Persons who wish transportation north of Oneida after this date will either have to go to Syracuse, Utica or use bus service.
The mails formerly carried by these trains will now be carried out of Oneida by star carrier routes.
Official Railway Guide, October, 1936
(Timetable dated October 25, 1936 - no service north of Oneida - Trains #9 and #10 run between Sidney and Oneida. Note on side states "Passenger service discontinued" Oneida to Oswego.
In 1912 the New York Central operated four daily trains in each direction. Northbound they stopped in Central Square at 6:57 a.m., 9:49 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Southbound, 8:46 a.m., 11:33 a.m., 3:49 p.m. and 8:56 p.m. After 1952, passenger trains only stopped on signal at Central Square. All passenger service on this line ended with the last run of a rail diesel car (RDC) between Syracuse and Massena on February 16, 1964. In 1929 C. D. Chichester was freight and ticket agent for the New York Central. Among the station agents over the years were Frank Hamilton, Arthur Getman, Carl Best, C. D. Chichester, George Bennett, Charles and Byron Bonneau. E. Covell was the last agent. Parker Davis was telegraph operator. Ward Barret carried the mail between the depot and post office.
After the abandonment of the N.Y.O.& W. railroad on March 29, 1957, the State of New York took over the O&W right of way and station property. The tower was torn down when the interchange and crossover tracks were removed. The station for a time was rented to a youth group and later to the SOVAC ambulance service. Later, SOVAC built a new facility and the depot became vacant. Eventually it became the property of the Central New York Chapter.
The "new" Central Square station. Richard Palmer collection
Central Square Station Today
Bob and Judy Townsend and Harvey Harke have been ever vigilant in maintaining this fine railroad museum and it is hoped others will step up to continue in their footsteps in the future.
"Keepers" of the Central Square Station Museum are, from left, Harvey Harkey, Bob and Judy Townsend.
Interior Views of the Museum
Feature Pieces of Rolling Stock
One of the show pieces is this restored 1929-vintage gas electric car built by Brill for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was later used on the Huntington & Broad Top Mountain Railroad and for many years was at the now-defunct Rail City Museum at Sandy Pond, N.Y.
This small engine, built in 1941, was formerly used at Wickwire Brothers plant in Cortland. It has been repainted in the New York, Ontario & Western diesel color scheme of the 1950s.
This was the last trolley car to operate in the city of Syracuse in 1941.
