Angola, NY is a town on the shores of Lake Erie in Erie County. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (New York Central) and Nickel Plate Railroad mainlines ran through the town. The Chautauqua Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad ran parallel to the Nickel Plate.
Angola was known, unfortunately, for an 1867 train wreck that killed over 40 people. It was, at the time, one of the deadliest train wrecks in American history. For more details, see the Wikipedia entry for the “Angola Horror“.
Pennsylvania and Nickel Plate Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad and Nickel Plate Railroad station was on the east side of Main Street south of downtown Angola. The map below shows the area around the depot. The red arrow shows the point of view of the first photo below and the blue arrow that of the second photo.
Nickel Plate customers in Angola, NY
A 1913-1914 Nickel Plate Road shippers’ guide listed the following customers in Angola:
- Angola Gas Company.
- Blood, D . W., apples.
- Bundy Milling Co., flour, feed and grain.
- Coon, A. B., lumber, planing mill.
- Ellis Canning Co., canned goods.
- Emblem Manufacturing Co., makers bicycles.
- Evans Farm Supply Co.
- Fohley, J . , & Sons, furniture.
- Goldsmith, E . F. , fruit and vegetables.
- Goldsmith, E. J . (Brant, N. Y.), fruit and vegetables.
- Krull, William, & Son, produce.
- Lograsso, F. , & Son, shippers fruits and produce.
- Lyth, John, & Sons, brick, tile and sewer pipe.
- Pierce, Geo. E . (North East, Pa.), grapes.
- Phillips & Son, apples.
- Russell, R. A., dealer fruit and dairy products.
- Sheffan, William, coal and wood.
- Shultz, A. F. , dealer hardware.
- Stocker, H . A., fruit and dairy products.
- Wood, C . M., fruit and dairy products.
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Buffalo and State Line Railroad completed its line through Angola in February 1852. The line was later operated by the Buffalo and Erie Railroad (1857 – 1869), Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (1869 – 1877), New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (1877 – 1914), and New York Central Railroad (1914 – 1968).
Originally, the station on the Buffalo and State Line Railroad was known as “Evans Center” and was later renamed to “Angola.”
Timetables
Learn More
- Cook, Donald D. “The History of the Town of Evans.” Town of Evans web site.