The Ontario & Western Railway Northern Division
The Ontario & Western Railway Northern Division

Author: John Taibi

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738511757

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The New York & Oswego Midland Railroad-reorganized in 1879 as the New York, Ontario & Western Railway-was born out of necessity and a desire to populate and industrialize the interior regions of New York State. The railroad meandered down from Oswego, traversed the north shore of Oneida Lake, and then took a southerly route through Oneida and Norwich before turning east for a mountainous crossing to gain the village of Sidney. The railroad was not a success in its time. The New York, Ontario & Western brought a degree of financial stability to the northern division, and the line functioned through the late 1950s. The Ontario & Western Railway Northern Division features photographs of the Ontario & Western, a railroad long on scenery but short on freight. The Ontario & Western inherited a railroad in search of revenue and a circuitous route that passed through one small community after another. Small wooden country depots dotted the line, locomotives of meager proportions pulled the trains, and dedicated employees did their best to keep the railroad solvent. The railroad is still fondly remembered today by those who rode its cars and witnessed its passing trains.

The New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway

Author: Joe Bux

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2009-01-12

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 1439637040

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The New York, Ontario and Western Railway was the first class-one railroad in the United States to be abandoned in its entirety. Whereas other rail lines were closed gradually, the federal government closed down the railroad on March 29, 1957, for its failure to pay employee withholding taxes. The railroad went into bankruptcy in 1937 after its main shipping commodity, coal, was rapidly replaced by oil for home heat. As time passed, the interest in this abandoned railroad grew, and much of the company's records have been recovered and preserved. Today, with 750 members, the Ontario and Western Railway Historical Society Archives Center houses this unique corporate record collection. In addition, there are extensive private collections of everything from locomotives, passenger cars, lanterns, and tools to company passes and railroad police memorabilia.

Railroads and the American People
Railroads and the American People

Author: H. Roger Grant

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2012-10-17

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 0253006376

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“[A] wealth of vignettes and more than 100 black-and-white illustrations . . . Does a fine job of humanizing the iron horse” (The Wall Street Journal). In this social history of the impact of railroads on American life, H. Roger Grant concentrates on the railroad’s “golden age,” from 1830 to 1930. He explores four fundamental topics—trains and travel, train stations, railroads and community life, and the legacy of railroading in America—illustrating each with carefully chosen period illustrations. Grant recalls the lasting memories left by train travel, both of luxurious Pullman cars and the grit and grind of coal-powered locals. He discusses the important role railroads played for towns and cities across America, not only for the access they provided to distant places and distant markets but also for the depots that were a focus of community life, and reviews the lasting heritage of the railroads in our culture today. This is “an engaging book of train stories” from one of railroading’s finest historians (Choice). “Highly recommended to train buffs and others in love with early railroading.” —Library Journal “With plenty of detail, Grant brings a bygone era back to life, addressing everything from social and commercial appeal, racial and gender issues, safety concerns, and leaps in technology . . . A work that can appeal to both casual and hardcore enthusiasts.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

O & W
O & W

Author: William F. Helmer

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781883789251

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The Ontario & Western?the O&W, or, as both boosters and detractors referred to it in its later years, the ?Old & Weary, ? operated from 1869-1957 and ran from Oswego on Lake Ontario to New York City, passing through the midlands and southern counties of New York State, with spurs to Utica, Kingston, Port Jervis, and Scranton, PA. Filled with colorful characters and miscellaneous machinery, O. & W. chronicles almost a century of alternating hope and heartache, prosperity and poverty, dignity and degradation. Her passing was mourned for a variety of economic and sentimental reasons, but the loss was deeply felt in an intangible way. The rambling, elderly, inefficient, accident-prone, irritating old railroad was a part of a way of life now gone from the American scene.

Madison and Hamilton
Madison and Hamilton

Author: Mishell Kyle Forward-Magnusson

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 073857676X

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Located on the eastern border of Madison County, the towns of Madison and Hamilton also contain villages of the same names. Settlement began around 1794, and Madison was formed in 1807 from a portion of the town of Hamilton. The well-known Landmark Tavern, designed by James Coolidge around 1849, is located in Bouckville, in the middle of Madison. Coolidge also brought hops to the area, establishing it as the largest hop producer in the United States. The creation of the Cherry Valley Turnpike (now Route 20) and the Chenango Canal in the mid-1800s attracted both residents and industries, including Samuel Mott, creator of the famous Mott's Apple Sauce, who moved to Bouckville in 1868 where he established Mott's Cider Company in 1869; he later moved his home to Hamilton. Development continued into the 1900s as the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad ran through both towns, bringing visitors from nearby Syracuse and Utica. Now home to Colgate University, the quaint towns and rural communities in the area continue to welcome residents and visitors alike.