Barker, NY

Barker is a village within the town of Somerset in Niagara County north of Lockport. The Hojack Line, operated by the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad and later the New York Central Railroad, ran through Barker and the station there was initially referred to by the railroad as “Somerset” and sometime between 1897 and 1909 the station name was changed to “Barker.”

A 1965 newspaper article gives this history of Barker:

In the 1870’s when the railroad company surveyed Somerset for tracks they selected the Sharpsteen farm as the best possible site. David Barker, a neighbor the south, offered his land free to the railroad if it would lay the tracks near his homestead. The offer was accepted and community of Barker developed around the depot.

An 1897 book on the Landmarks of Niagara County noted that the station was then named “Somerset” and described the village as

Barker (Somerset Station) is a post office and station on the R., W. & O. Railroad, and the chief shipping point in town It is of recent growth, dating from the opening of the railroad, and contains the stores of Jay L. Taylor, general merchant and postmaster; Compton & Bennett, furniture; Jesson Brothers, hardware ; Reed & Cartwright, furniture ; and John O’Malley, general merchant. In July, 1895, a fire burned all the stores, etc., along the street west of the depot, but the structures were soon mostly rebuilt.

The station in Barker was located on the north side of the tracks just east of Quaker Road and south of Main Street. After the railroad stopped passenger service the station survived and contained the Village Hall and library when it was destroyed by fire on January 20, 2019.

History

The Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (RW&O) completed construction of the line from Niagara Falls to Oswego in 1875. The RW&O operated the line until March 1891 when the company was leased to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. The line was operated by the New York Central (1891 – 1968), the Penn Central Railroad (1968 – 1976) and Conrail (1976 on). The line was redundant with others operated by Conrail and by the late 1970s the entire line between Oswego and Niagara Falls had been abandoned or, in a few cases, sold to smaller railroads to operate small sections.

Passenger service to the station ended in 1955.

Clippings

Station Photographs

An undated photo postcard showing the New York Central Railroad station in Barker, NY. Posted by Scott Porter on the Facebook “The Real ‘Old Falls Street’ People” group.

A November 16, 2017 photograph of the former New York Central Railroad station in Barker, NY. The station, which housed the Village Hall and library, burned down on January 20, 2019. Photo by Adam Moss, who posted it on Facebook.

Other Photographs

Maps

A January 1904 map of the New York Central Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Division. Official Railway Guide, January 1904.

A 1911 New York Central Railroad map showing the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad. Found on canadasouthern.com.

A 1908 map of Barker, NY showing the route of the New York Central Railroad through town. Century Map Company. 1908. “Niagara County 1908, Barker.” Historic Map Works.

The track arrangement around the New York Central Railroad station in Barker, NY.Author’s illustration from 1917 New York Central Railroad valuation map V-90/143. National Archives collection.

The track arrangement in a one mile section of track around the New York Central Railroad station in Barker, NY.Author’s illustration from 1917 New York Central Railroad valuation map V-90/143. National Archives collection.

A route of the “Hojack Line” from Oswego to Niagara Falls, NY. Author’s illustration based on a 1929 New York Central map.

Timetables

A June 27, 1881 timetable of trains on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad “Hojack Line” between Oswego and Suspension Bridge, NY. “Travelers’ Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines, July 1881.” Found on Google Books.

A portion of an October 2, 1887 timetable for the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad showing trains on the “Hojack” line between Oswego and Niagara Falls, NY. Source unknown.

A September 20, 1897 timetable of trains on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad “Hojack Line” between Oswego and Suspension Bridge, NY. “Travelers’ Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines, October 1897.” Found on Google Books