Genesee Valley Canal Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Genesee Valley Canal Railroad was a part of the Pennsylvania Railroad
system in central New York
. It was built on the former Genesee Valley Canal
alignment.
, running from the Erie Canal
in Rochester southwest along the Genesee River
valley to Mount Morris
, Portageville, and Belfast, and then cross-country to the Allegheny River
at Olean, with a branch from Mount Morris paralleling the Canaseraga Creek to Dansville.
On September 1, 1840 the canal was opened to navigation from Rochester to Mount Morris. The extension to Dansville opened in Fall 1841, and by then the split between the Dansville branch and the main line was set at Sonyea, southeast of Mount Morris.
After some partial openings, the full line was opened at the beginning of navigation in 1862, running to Olean on the Allegheny River
and beyond to Mill Grove, on the river just north of the Pennsylvania
state line. However, by then, the Main Line of Public Works
and Pennsylvania Railroad
had been completed, opening up the interior of Pennsylvania without depending on New York, and there was no interest in improving the Allegheny River. Instead, the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad
, connecting to the river at Carrollton
, west of Olean, was used as a reason to continue building the canal.
On June 4, 1877 the legislature approved an abandonment of the canal on or after September 30, 1878. The canal was sold on November 6, 1880 to the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad, which had been chartered July 15 of that year.
The branch of the canal to Dansville was not used for a railroad, but two railroads already served that corridor - the Erie and Genesee Valley Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
's New York, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
The Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania Railroad
had built a line roughly parallel to the canal between Mount Morris and Nunda
, turning southeast there to Swain. In 1881 the part north of Nunda was abandoned, and on July 11 of that year, the company was consolidated into the Rochester, New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. That company opened a new line in 1882 from Nunda northeast to the new Genesee Valley Canal Railroad at Nunda Junction, and the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway leased it that year.
The Genesee Valley Terminal Railroad was incorporated August 14, 1882, and in 1883 opened a branch from the Genesee Valley Railroad southwest of Rochester north to a junction with the New York Central Railroad
main line at Lincoln Park
.
On September 1887 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad and with it the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad. In 1900 the Pennsylvania Railroad
leased the WNYP.
A short branch from Scottsville
west to Garbutt
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
's Rochester and State Line Railroad
opened on September 16, 1907. This three mile section of track was abandoned in 1944, and no trace of it exists today.
On November 15, 1912 the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad and Genesee Valley Terminal Railroad merged to form the Pennsylvania and Rochester Railroad. That company was absorbed on February 28, 1916 into the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway, still leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad
. In 1968 the PRR merged into Penn Central, and in 1976 became part of Conrail. The full line from Rochester to Hinsdale (minus a short spur immediately south of Rochester) was abandoned in 1963.
project was begun. This project is to transform the abandoned canal and railroad routes into a recreational pathway
.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
system in central New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was built on the former Genesee Valley Canal
Genesee Valley Canal
- History :On 6 May 1836, an act was passed in the New York Legislature authorizing the construction of the Genesee Valley Canal. It was to run from the Erie Canal on the south side of Rochester south-southwest along the Genesee River valley to Mount Morris, Portageville, and Belfast, and then...
alignment.
Genesee Valley Canal: 1836-1878
On May 6, 1836 an act was passed in New York authorizing the construction of the Genesee Valley CanalGenesee Valley Canal
- History :On 6 May 1836, an act was passed in the New York Legislature authorizing the construction of the Genesee Valley Canal. It was to run from the Erie Canal on the south side of Rochester south-southwest along the Genesee River valley to Mount Morris, Portageville, and Belfast, and then...
, running from the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
in Rochester southwest along the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
valley to Mount Morris
Mount Morris, New York
Mount Morris, New York refers to:*Mount Morris , New York*Mount Morris , New York*Marcus Garvey Park, also called Mount Morris Park, in Harlem, New York*Mount Morris Park Historic District, the area surrounding Marcus Garvey Park...
, Portageville, and Belfast, and then cross-country to the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
at Olean, with a branch from Mount Morris paralleling the Canaseraga Creek to Dansville.
On September 1, 1840 the canal was opened to navigation from Rochester to Mount Morris. The extension to Dansville opened in Fall 1841, and by then the split between the Dansville branch and the main line was set at Sonyea, southeast of Mount Morris.
After some partial openings, the full line was opened at the beginning of navigation in 1862, running to Olean on the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and beyond to Mill Grove, on the river just north of the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state line. However, by then, the Main Line of Public Works
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
and Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
had been completed, opening up the interior of Pennsylvania without depending on New York, and there was no interest in improving the Allegheny River. Instead, the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad
Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad
The Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad was formed on February 26, 1859, by the merger of the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad and the Buffalo and Bradford Railroad. The Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad was leased to the Erie Railroad on January 6, 1866, for period of 499 years...
, connecting to the river at Carrollton
Carrollton, New York
Carrollton is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. The name comes from an early settler.The Town of Carrollton is on the south border of Cattaraugus County...
, west of Olean, was used as a reason to continue building the canal.
On June 4, 1877 the legislature approved an abandonment of the canal on or after September 30, 1878. The canal was sold on November 6, 1880 to the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad, which had been chartered July 15 of that year.
Genesee Valley Canal Railroad: 1880-1990s
The railroad began construction, and opened its line in 1882 from Rochester to Hinsdale. At Hinsdale it connected to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, and the rest of the canal south to and through Olean was not used as it closely paralleled the BNY&P. The Genesee Valley Canal Railroad was immediately leased to the BNY&P.The branch of the canal to Dansville was not used for a railroad, but two railroads already served that corridor - the Erie and Genesee Valley Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
's New York, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
The Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania Railroad
Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania Railroad
Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania Railroad was a New York railroad. Trains ran from Sonyea south through Nunda to Swain. Parts of the railroad were sold to the Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad. Other parts of the RN&P were graded near York, NY and Fowlerville, NY and also near Chili, New...
had built a line roughly parallel to the canal between Mount Morris and Nunda
Nunda, New York
Nunda, New York may refer to either the town or the village in the U.S. state of New York:* Nunda , New York* Nunda , New York...
, turning southeast there to Swain. In 1881 the part north of Nunda was abandoned, and on July 11 of that year, the company was consolidated into the Rochester, New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. That company opened a new line in 1882 from Nunda northeast to the new Genesee Valley Canal Railroad at Nunda Junction, and the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway leased it that year.
The Genesee Valley Terminal Railroad was incorporated August 14, 1882, and in 1883 opened a branch from the Genesee Valley Railroad southwest of Rochester north to a junction with the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
main line at Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, New York
Lincoln Park is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 2,337 at the 2000 census.Lincoln Park is in the south part of the Town of Ulster, adjacent to the north city line of the City of Kingston....
.
On September 1887 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad and with it the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad. In 1900 the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
leased the WNYP.
A short branch from Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
west to Garbutt
Garbutt, New York
Garbutt, New York is a hamlet located between the village of Scottsville and the hamlet of Mumford. It sits at the intersection of Scottsville-Mumford Road and Union Street in the Town of Wheatland in Monroe County...
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
's Rochester and State Line Railroad
Rochester and State Line Railroad
The Rochester and State Line Railroad typifies those transportation companies of the 19th century which arose from more than the customary desire to amass great amounts of money...
opened on September 16, 1907. This three mile section of track was abandoned in 1944, and no trace of it exists today.
On November 15, 1912 the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad and Genesee Valley Terminal Railroad merged to form the Pennsylvania and Rochester Railroad. That company was absorbed on February 28, 1916 into the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway, still leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. In 1968 the PRR merged into Penn Central, and in 1976 became part of Conrail. The full line from Rochester to Hinsdale (minus a short spur immediately south of Rochester) was abandoned in 1963.
Genesee Valley Canal: 1991-present
In 1991, the Genesee Valley GreenwayGenesee Valley Greenway
The Genesee Valley Greenway is a rail trail in western New York's Genesee River valley.It stretches for along a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way as well as adjacent land from the Genesee Valley Canal...
project was begun. This project is to transform the abandoned canal and railroad routes into a recreational pathway
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
.