New York Railroad Archive

Ashville, NY

Ashville, NY is a village in Chautauqua County and was a station on the Erie Railroad‘s Meadville line, though the Erie station was located south of downtown Ashville. The village of Ashville was served by the Chautauqua Traction company interurban trolley system. The area south of Ashville was sometimes referred to as “Boomertown,” though the railroads referred to their stations here as “Ashville.”

Map showing the locations of the Erie Railroad’s original line (green) and relocated line (blue) through the Ashville/Boomertown area. The red line going into the village of Ashville at the top of the map is the Chautauqua Traction interurban line. The “Old” and “New” labels indicate the locations of the Erie’s passenger stations. Author’s illustration based on two 1954 topographic maps.

Between 1905 and 1909 the Erie Railroad relocated its Meadville line through the town to pass farther to the south of the village and the old station was moved to its new location about a quarter mile to the south.

Old Erie Station

The original Erie Railroad station in Ashville, NY circa 1909. This appears to be taken around the time when the Erie was relocating its line and building a new station along the new line. The station in this photo appears to have been jacked up in preparation for moving it. From the collection of Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-177. Found on rootsweb.com.
The original Erie Railroad station in Ashville, NY circa 1909. This appears to be taken around the time when the Erie was relocating its line and building a new station along the new line. The station in this photo appears to have been jacked up in preparation for moving it. From the collection of Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #B-177. Found on rootsweb.com.

The station on the original line, constructed in 1861 by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (A&GW) was located in the area where the tracks crossed what is now S. Maple Avenue. Gleason Road was just north of the tracks and the station would have been in the area where Gleason and S Maple intersect.

An 1875 inventory of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad listed that station in Ashville as having a 16×66 foot 1 1/2 story wooden frame station that had a passenger room, a freight office, and a baggage room with a shingle roof. It was on more than 2 acres of property owned by the railroad and included a cattle pen and chute and a handcar shed.

New Erie Station

The newly-built Erie Railroad station in Ashville, NY taken around 1909 when the Erie relocated its line and built a new station along the new line. From the collection of Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-177. Found on rootsweb.com.
The newly-built Erie Railroad station in Ashville, NY taken around 1909 when the Erie relocated its line and built a new station along the new line. From the collection of Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-176. Found on rootsweb.com.

According to the Railroadians of America “Next Station Will Be…” book, the station was moved from the old location to the new one in 1904, burned in 1905 and a new station was built. The Erie Railroad’s annual report ending June 30, 1911 noted that the company had built a new passenger station in Ashville. The station was torn down in 1959.

A 1918 map showing the tracks and buildings around the Erie Railroad’s station in Ashville, NY. The bridge shown on the right side of the map is where Baker Street passed over the railroad tracks. Author’s illustration from a 1918 Erie Railroad valuation map.

History of the Line

The line through Watts Flats was constructed by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (1861 – 1880), and was later operated by the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad (1880 – 1883), the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad (1883 – 1895), the Erie Railroad (1895 – 1960), the Erie Lackawanna Railroad (1960 – 1976), and the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).

Station Photos

Clippings

Timetables

Learn More

  • Railroadians of America. “Next Station Will Be… Volume IX, Salamanca, NY to Marion, Ohio”. 1987.