WIlson, NY – New York Railroad Archive

Passengers near a Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad train in Wilson, NY. Postcard found on eBay.

Wilson is a village in the town of Wilson in Niagara County. It was a station on the Hojack Line operated by the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad and later the New York Central Railroad.

The station stands on the north side of the tracks just west of Lake Street/Route 425. It currently houses the Wilson Historical Society.

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.

Clippings

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Station Photographs

Passengers near a Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad train in Wilson, NY. Postcard found on eBay.

A view of the the New York Central Railroad (formerly Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad) station in Wilson, NY around 1910. Posted by Leslie Carr in the Facebook “Railroad Photos and Memories , Western NY and PA” group.

The former Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (later part of the New York Central Railroad) station in Wilson, NY as it looked in 2020. Charles Woolever photo posted on Existing Railroad Stations in New York State.

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

Detail of an 1908 map showing the location of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad station in Wilson Station, NY. Century Map Company, 1908 , “Niagara County 1908, Sunset Beach, Wilson Station”. Found on Historic Map Works

Map showing the layout of the tracks around the New York Central Railroad station in Wilson, NY.Author’s illustration from 1917 New York Central Railroad valuation map V-90/157. National Archives collection.

The track arrangement in a one mile section of track around the New York Central Railroad station in Wilson, NY. Author’s illustration from 1917 New York Central Railroad valuation map V-90/157. National Archives collection.

Timetables

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

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

Learn More

Facebook. Wilson Historical Society
Wikipedia. “Wilson, NY“
Wilson, NY. Town of Wilson, NY.