Jamestown was the railroad hub of southern Chautauqua County and was the significant station in New York State for Erie Railroad trains going west toward Chicago. Also on the Erie, Jamestown with southern terminus of the former Buffalo and Southwestern line running to Buffalo via Dayton and Gowanda. Jamestown was also served by smaller steam and electric railways running south into Pennsylvania and north along both shores of Chautauqua Lake.
The 1866 book “Over the Atlantic and Great Western Railway”, written by an English financial reporter, described Jamestown as:
“… a sweet place, with sweet surroundings. It is to Ohio, and particularly Cincinnati, what Hastings or Southend is to London – a quiet, middle-class watering-place. Already [May 15, 1866] every vacant house has been secured for the summer months. The attractions of Jamestown are its cheerful look, it fine prospects from the mountains, and its glorious lake. The lake, Chautauqua, is barely a mile from the town, and is reputed to be the highest navigable water on the American continent, being 1290 feet above the level of the Atlantic, and 730 feet above Lake Erie. Fish of all sorts abound; but the favourite is the pickerel, which not unfrequently weighs 40 lb. But the lake is also useful, and long has been so, to the plodding Dutchmen and others, who settled on its borders before railways superceded the teams, which made dry goods pilgrimages to Erie or Buffalo one or twice a year, Upon the lake there were places at an early period sail and row boats, and these not only kept up communication with the outer world, but induced the outer world to come in with some freeness, and enjoy a land literally flowing with milk and honey. Will it be believed, that during the butter season Jamestown send daily to New York, by the Atlantic and Great Western Railway, the considerable quantity of ten to fifteen tons of butter; and that during the cheese season it sends a corresponding supply of cheese? And, with the single exception of Orange County cheese and butter, those of Jamestown command, and have long commanded, the highest prices in New York. Manufactures also flourish. There are four saw-mills, three furniture factories, one piano factory, two woolen factories, three sash, door and blind factories, two machine shops, two edge tools shops, and a gas-work. There are also five hotels, three banks, eight churches, and two newspapers. The water power is second best in the State of New York”
History
The primary railroad of Jamestown has always been the east-west Erie Railroad main line between New York and Chicago. Jamestown was linked the rest of the world on August 25, 1860 when the first train arrived from New York on the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. The A&GW was reorganized in March 1880 as the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad, which was leased and later purchased by the Erie Railroad. In 1962, the Erie merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to form the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad which itself was merged into Conrail in 1976.
Erie Railroad
The Erie (and its predecessors) built four passenger train stations in Jamestown beginning with the Arrival of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad in 1865.
- First Passenger Station, 1865 – 1897. This station was was built in 1865 by the Atlantic and Great Western Railway at the foot of Cherry Street.
- Second Passenger Station, 1897 – 1924. In 1897 the original station was replaced by an ornate red brick station with a central tower and long wings.
- Third Passenger Station: 1924-1930. The third passenger station was a temporary, one-story wooden station that was built farther to the west at Second and Jefferson Streets during the construction of the fourth station.
- Fourth Passenger Station, 1930 – Present. The fourth passenger station in Jamestown is still standing on Second Street at the foot of Lafayette Street, about three blocks west of Main Street.
Chautauqua Lake Railway
The Chautauqua Lake Railway reached Jamestown in 1887 and extended north along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake through Mayville to Brocton. It was originally a steam railroad, but in 1913 the line was electrified and became the Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern Railroad. The Jamestown station for this road was at the Boatlanding at the foot of Chautauqua Lake.
Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad
The Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad was an electric railroad which ran from Jamestown to Westfield, NY. Passenger operations ended November 30, 1947. The line began diesel powered freight service which continued until January 21, 1950.
Warren and Jamestown Street Railway
The Warren and Jamestown Street Railway served its namesake cities from 1905 to 1929.
Jamestown Street Railway
The Jamestown Street Railway provided streetcar service within Jamestown and nearby towns. It started as a horse car railway and was later electrified.e to come!
Jamestown Photos
