The following is an excerpt of a complaint by residents of the town of York against the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad after the railroad stopped passenger service to the three stations in town – Greigsville, Craigs, and Linwood.
IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF YORK, LIVINGSTON COUNTY, v. THE DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA AND WESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY. April 18 , 1892.
A numerously-signed petition of residents of the town of York, Livingston county, was duly filed with the Board and alleged that the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company owned and operated a double-track line of railroad running diagonally through the town, a distance of seven miles; that for a number of years three stations had been maintained in said town, to wit: One at Greigsville, one at Craigs and one at Linwood, points nearly equidistant; that in November last, the railroad company refused to permit its trains to stop at these stations, to the great inconvenience of the residents of the town and to the detriment of the business of the vicinity, especially to certain industries which had been established at their points of location because of these stations. The petition further alleged that the act of the company in refusing to stop its trains at these stations was consequent upon the act of the assessors of the town in increasing the valuation of the railroad company for the purposes of taxation.
The answer of the company was that a sufficient justification for the discontinuance of the stoppage of trains at these stations, was to be found in the statement that the original location of the stations was an error and that the business done at these stations was too small. The company, however, informed the Board that the stopping of trains at Linwood had been resumed.
The petitioners persisted in the statement that the business done justified the stoppage of freight and accommodation, trains, and insisted that the cause was entirely due to a disagreement between the company and the assessors of the town.
The Board made an examination of the stations in question and of the surrounding country, by its inspector. In his report, filed April 11, 1892, he says : “The nearest station east of Linwood is Leicester, a distanceof about nine miles. The Western New York and Pennsylvania railroad lies closely along the easterly boundary of the town, and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad enters the town of York on its south line near the center and passes out near its northwesterly corner. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western is a double-track railroad of best construction and equipment; with its connections it is a convenient and direct route east, west and south for the people of the town in question. The discontinuance of the depots at Greigsville and Craigs, compels the inhabitants living in the central part of the township to go, on an average, four and one- half miles, and in the extreme about nine miles, to reach a depot on this railroad. At Greigsville, three miles west of Leicester, there is a hamlet of about 200 people, including the nearby residents. One mile northeasterly is located the Retsof salt mine, where about 300 men are said to be employed. A post-office has recently been established at Greigsville. The mining company have laid a branch about one mile in length, connecting at this point with the Delaware road, also another branch, about three miles long, connecting with the Western New York and Pennsylvania road at Piffard, which is operated with mixed trains, giving a convenient outlet to the north. At Craigs, three miles west of Greigsville, there are short sidings and a private storehouse in which is a waiting- room for passengers. It is probably the most accessible for the village of York, but not much preferable in distance over Greigsville. About one and one-half miles westerly from Greigsville, directly on the line of the Delaware road, another salt mine is now being developed and will soon be in active operation.
“After carefully examining the country on both sides of the Delaware and Lackawanna road, observing the condition of farming lands and number and location of dwellings, your inspector is clearly of the opinion and respectfully suggests to your honorable Board, that the reopening of the depot at Greigsville, at least is necessary for the reasonable convenience of the surrounding district, and believes it to be also for the interests of the railroad company. The passenger travel is probably not very large, but, in connection with freight, it can not be unduly expensive to maintain a regular station for passenger service, with one train each way, morning and evening. There does not appear to be very pressing necessity for the reopening of the Craigs station, although many living nearby would be benefited; Greigsville and Linwood are not so very remote; the Greigsville depot is a small frame building for a waiting-room only, an uncovered platform is provided for freight purposes. “
In view of the facts above set forth, the Board makes the following recommendation:
That the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company resume the stoppage of its passenger, way or accommodation trains at Greigsville, and a sufficient number of freight trains, so that the freight may be promptly shipped from and received at the said station; and that the stoppage of trains resumed at Linwood be continued.
By the Board.
Source: “Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York.., 1983 Vo1. 1.” Found on Google Books.