New York Railroad Archive

Chautauqua Lake Railway

The Chautauqua Lake Railway was the first railroad to run along the east shore of Chautauqua Lake from Jamestown to Mayville. The railroad was constructed to provide passenger service along the lake and to give manufacturers in Jamestown an alternative to shipping their products on the Erie Railroad. The railroad connected with the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad at Mayville Junction, sometimes shown as “Jamestown Junction” on some maps. From there they could be carried south to Pennsylvania or north to Brocton where the BNY&P connected to the Nickel Plate Railroad or to Buffalo.

History

The Chautauqua Lake Railway opened from Jamestown to Mayville Jct. on July 25, 1887 with trackage rights over 1.2 miles of the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad into Mayville. At Mayville, it connected with the former Mayville Extension Railroad, which ran 3.5 miles south along the west side of the lake to the Chautauqua Assembly Grounds. On October 17, 1894 the company was reorganized into the Jamestown and Lake Erie Railway.

An invitation to ride on the first train over the Chautauqua Lake Railway from Jamestown to Mayville on July 23, 1887. Collection of the Chautauqua Township Historical Society.
An advertisement for spacial rates on trains of the Chautauqua Railway to travel to Jamestown to see bicycle races in Marvin Park on July 20, 1894. Found on eBay.
A certificate for the the first mortgage of the Chautauqua Lake Railway. This was a sample certificate and the actual certificates would have been issued 1887 when the railroad company was organized. Found on eBay.

Stations

Jamestown * Clifton * Fluvanna/Elmhurst * Greenhurst * Griffiths/Sheldon Hill * Cheney’s Switch/Driftwood * Belleview * Colburns * Phillips Mills * Bemus Point * Bay View * Giffords * Maple Springs * Whiteside / Midway Park * Starr Farm * Dewittville * Point Chautauqua * Wooglin * Hartfield * W. N. Y. &P. Junction * Mayville

Most of these were flag stations, often a shack, platform, or sometimes just a road crossing, where the train would drop off passengers or pick up passengers, if they indicated they were waiting for a train by waving a flag. The only permanent, manned stations on the line were at Jamestown, Bemus Point, Dewittville, Hartfield, the W. N. Y. & P. Junction, and Mayville.

More details
Distance from
Jamestown		Station
0
2.1
3.9
5.0
5.4
6.0
6.8
8.0
9.0
10.5
11.5
12.5
13.8
14.4
15.8
17.4
18.4
19.6
20.5
21.7
23		Jamestown
Clifton
Fluvanna/Elmhurst
Greenhurst
Griffiths/Sheldon Hill
Cheney’s Switch/Driftwood
Belleview
Colburns
Phillips Mills
Bemus Point
Bay View
Giffords
Maple Springs
Whiteside / Midway Park
Starr Farm
Dewittville
Point Chautauqua
Wooglin
Hartfield
W. N. Y. &P. Junction
Mayville
Source: September 28, 1941 JW&NW timetable

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