The line was chartered by the state legislation in 1831, to build a street railway on new york s manhattan island from 14th street to the village of harlem at 129th street, seven miles to the north. The impetus for new residential development in this area came with the arrival of three lines of elevated rail service which, by 1881, ran as far north as 129th street, and by 1886. As was common in the early railroad era, the new york and harlem also built its own luxury resort hotel, to entice its patrons to travel. New york, new haven and hartford railroad wikipedia. Depot, corner 4th avenue and 26th street, new york. The harlem division new york central system historical. George woolworth coltons 58 x 42 cm color map depicts nyc and vicinity at an approximate scale of 1. Today, with 384 route miles and 775 miles of track, metronorth goes to 124 stations. The coming of the new york and harlem railroad book, 1989. The new york and harlem railroad now the metronorth railroad s harlem line was one of the first railroads in the united states, and was the worlds first street railway.
By then, the complex had become the first madison square garden. The new york and harlem railroad now metro north was incorporated in 1831 to better link the city with harlem and westchester county, starting at a depot at east 23rd street, and extending 127 miles 204 km north to a railroad junction in columbia county at chatham, new york by 1851. Im not exactly sure how things like national fried chicken day july 6th or walk. Products could now be transported by rail directly to new york city rather than depending on river transport via poughkeepsie. The panic of 1873 denied this venture the financing for construction. New york and harlem rr 42nd street station classic trains. Mar 03, 20 the madison avenue end of the new york and harlem railroad depot, fourth avenue and 26th street, in the 1880s. Before there was a grand in central the new york times. The first extension beyond manhattan islands boundary came when some westchester county towns were annexed into new york city in 1874. Remembering lou grogan, the coming of the new york. The harlem line from ny and harlem railroad was the first.
New york s railroads were born of the cutthroat conflict of rate wars, bloody strikes and even federal graft. The original charter was granted by the new york state legislature on april 25th, 1831, authorizing a single or double tracked road from 23rd street to any point on the harlem river between third and eighth avenues fourth avenue later renamed park. As the result of a horrific wreck in the park avenue tunnels that was attributed to smoke conditions obscuring a red signal, the city of new york passed a law that forbade the use. Mirandarodriguezs work will be part of an app that a nonprofit organization, the caribbean cultural center in east harlem, hopes will help preserve the history and culture of a neighborhood undergoing gentrification and that those participating in the project say history books. It was designed by master engineer john stephenson, who customized many of the new york and harlem s. The railroad wars began as soon as the first line was chartered between albany and schenectady when supporters of the erie canal tried to block the new. Started as a humble street railroad using horses for motive power, it eventually grew to reach westchester, putnam, dutchess, and columbia counties, and is the origin of todays harlem line. In an effort to consolidate the area, manhattan became one of five boroughs of new york city in 1898. This road forms in part the great railroad route from new york to hartford, springfield, boston, etc. The revised history of harlem city of new york is a magnificent book for genealogists and researchers who have dutch ancestors. New york, westchester and boston railway project gutenberg. The new york and harlem railroad was incorporated in 1831 to build streetlevel tracks from lower manhattan to thenremote harlem.
The coming of the new york and harlem railroad grogan, louis v on. Mar 29, 2012 the new york, westchester and boston railroad emerged in 1906, guided by charles s. This new book is not a dedicated narrative of the new york centrals harlem division, but rather a photographic look at the history of this railroad that was the. The railroad primarily connected greater new york and boston in the east with chicago and st. Citys first railroad, the newyork and harlem line, began. To this day, the book remains the best compilation of history regarding the harlem railroad, detailing every station that is and was along the.
Gills harlem, told in vivid detail, began as a rural village and became the site of the greatest avantgarde in american culture. Jan 20, 2015 as foner details in his new book, gateway to freedom. Mellens grand plan was to build a new station in the bronx to rival the thenovertaxed grand central station. Designed by john stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between lower manhattan to and beyond harlem. The first railroad in the capital region was among the first in the country, and helped herald in a new age of transportation. May 19, 2016 the harlem line was extended across the harlem river to the bronx and onto westchester in 1840.
Rather, it is a photographic look at the history of this railroad that was the driving force in developing the region along the eastern border of new york state from new york city to the heart of the berkshires in western massachusetts. The hidden history of the underground railroad, new york was a crucial way station from the upper south through pennsylvania and onward to. This new book is not a detailed narrative of the new york centrals harlem division, but rather a photographic look at the history of this railroad. Founded in 1853, it was a consolidation of 10 small railroads that paralleled the erie canal between albany and buffalo. There is no other book on the new york central railroad or the early railroads of new york city that goes into as much depth as this book, and it is not only loaded with informative text it is chock. Rather, it is a photographic look at the history of this railroad that was the driving force in developing the region along the eastern border of new york state from new york city. Excerpt from the travelers guide to the hudson river, saratoga springs, lake george, falls of niagara and thousand islandsby john disturnell 1864 new york and harlem railroad route. Irma and paul milstein division of united states history, local history and genealogy, the new york public library. This completed an extension of the railroad more than 125 miles northward from its origins in manhattan. Great book, highly recommendedespecially for traction modelers. We can see that thirtyfive years after the regions first railroad charter the cities of new york, brooklyn, jersey city, and hoboken were home to dozens of small independent railroad companies that traversed their main thoroughfares. Apr 03, 2015 george woolworth coltons 58 x 42 cm color map depicts nyc and vicinity at an approximate scale of 1.
Jun 27, 2018 in 1854, the common council passed an ordinance forbidding the new york and harlem railroad to continue steam operation south of 42nd street. Forgotten railroads through westchester county new york. This new book is not a dedicated narrative of the new york centrals harlem division, but rather a photographic look at the history of this railroad that was the driving force in developing the regions along the eastern border of new york state from new york city to the heart of the berkshire mountains of western massachusetts. Trains would terminate in the bronx, and commuters would then transfer to the bronx subways, which then cost only a nickel. This railroad extends from the station in centre street, and runs through broome street, the bowery, and fourth avenue to the outer depot, corner twenty. The harlem station in open cut was constructed by the new york central and hudson river railroad in 18731874 as part of the park avenue improvement. Where the harlem railroad had its terminal in 1839 the new york public library digital collections. Eric homberger, author of the historical atlas of new york city jonathan gills history of harlem is so briskly paced and invitingly written that readers may not even notice how deeply and impeccably.
Erickson and ernest morrell, brings together a multidisciplinary group of scholars to provide a broad consideration of the history of schooling in one of the nations most iconic black communities. The railroad was abandoned starting in 1958, and most of the former roadbed has been converted for rail. The harlem line was extended across the harlem river to the bronx and onto westchester in 1840. Old put was a railroad line that operated between the bronx and brewster in new york state.
New york central railroad company american railway. The new york and harlem railroad bought that company for. As was common in the early railroad era, the newyork and harlem also built its own luxury resort hotel, to entice its patrons to travel. The littleknown history of the underground railroad in new york.
Mar 07, 2019 this new book is not a detailed narrative of the new york centrals harlem division, but rather a photographic look at the history of this railroad that was the driving force in developing the regions along the eastern border of new york state from new york city to the heart of the berkshires in massachusetts. It is, by far, the most complete history of the line, and full of wonderful pictures. Rather, it is a photographic look at the history of this railroad that. New york and harlem rr 42nd street station classic. The underground railroad in new york city by walks of new york on february 25, 2014 in explore nyc, history harlem s harriet tubman memorial. Louis in the midwest along with the intermediate cities of albany, buffalo, cleveland, cincinnati, detroit, and syracuse. Although the new york and harlem railroad had operated from lower manhattan to harlem beginning in 1837, service was poor and unreliable and the trip was long. These many mergers and takeovers helped create the only highspeed route from boston to new york although in. The new york and harlem railroad was one of the first railroads in the united states, and was the worlds first street railway. The book, homes of the sound for new york business men was a guidebook written for business men who thought about purchasing a suburban home in the area between new york and new haven. Nyc railroad history new york central system historical.
With a virtual tour, preserving the history of east harlem. It reached its final northern terminus in chatham, putnam county, in 1852, where there was a connection to albany. Ive had this book for over 20 years and i still prize it like a treasure. The new york, new haven and hartford railroad reporting mark nh, commonly known as the new haven, was a railroad that operated in the new england region of the united states from 1872 to 1968, dominating the regions rail traffic for the first half of the 20th century beginning in the 1890s and accelerating in 1903, new york banker j. All three came under ownership of the new york central system in 1894. In 1831, the first successful steam railroad running regularly scheduled service in the 11 miles between albany and schenectady the mohawk and hudson rail road, later to become part of the mighty new york central system in 1850, the first telegraph line along a railroad rightofway erie railroad. The new york and harlem railroad ledger book dates back to 1831 and, barring the core samples of manhattan schist rock in the collection which are millions of years old, is the oldest item in the. Before selfies were cool lou grogan snaps a reflection at the then new white plains station. A century of schooling and resistance in a black community columbia university press, 2019, edited by ansley t. See the oldest item inside the new york transit museum.
Full text is unavailable for this digitized archive article. This was incorporated by act of the legislature, april 17th, 1832, authorizing the construction of a road, commencing at the. The book was a labor of love in more ways than one. Early railroads of new york s capital district covers what was perhaps the most exciting time in railroad history from 1826 to about 1900. The new york central railroad reporting mark nyc was a railroad primarily operating in the great lakes and mid atlantic regions of the united states. Clarence elijah clarence, 1835publication date 1898 topics new york and harlem railroad. Jul 16, 20 celia cruz and tito puente, two legendary latin musicians, may not have had superpowers, but an artist from williamsburg, brooklyn, plans to tap the popularity of comic book heroes to celebrate the significance of these and other figures in the cultural history of east harlem.
This new book is not a detailed narrative of the new york central systems harlem division. In 1885, the first to use piggyback freight service, in this case hauling farm wagons on. Williams bridge, 14 miles from new york, lying on the west bank of a small stream called bronx river, is the station from whence diverges the new york and new haven railroad, extending eastwardly 76 miles to new haven, conn. It was in close proximity to hudson river railroad and new york and harlem railroad. Subscribers may view the full text of this article in its original form through timesmachine. The story of the new york centrals harlem division from the taconic hills of columbia county and the berkshire hills of massachusetts. New york central railroad company, one of the major american railroads that connected the east coast with the interior. New york architecture images history harlem and the heights. Harlem was originally settled by the dutch in 1658, but was largely farmland and undeveloped territory for approximately 200 years. Nov 14, 2016 the book, homes of the sound for new york business men was a guidebook written for business men who thought about purchasing a suburban home in the area between new york and new haven. The book contains endless details about the property arrangements and the families of these citizens of harlem, in the northern part of manhattan island, city of new york. It replaced the ground level station opened in 1844 by the new york and harlaem railroad. The history of the storied new haven system is a long list of predecessors which trace back to the 1830s. Early photograph of a new york and harlem railroad horsecar.
There is no other book on the new york central railroad or the early railroads of new york city that goes into as much depth as this book, and it is not only loaded with informative text it is chock full of photographs from louis grogans own collection. Clarence elijah clarence, 1835publication date 1898 topics new york and harlem railroad publisher. The new york central system was a one of the largest american railroads operating in the northeast. Horses initially pulled railway carriages, followed by a conversion to steam engines, then one to. New york city is unique among major american cities in that much of its necessary passenger rail infrastructure is underground andor gradeseparated. The new york, westchester and boston railroad forgotten new. History of new york citys elevated train curbed ny. Harlem is known internationally as the black mecca of the world, but harlem has been home to many races and ethnic groups including the dutch, irish, german, italian, and jewish. Where the harlem railroad had its terminal in 1839 nypl. In 1871 the new york central, which controlled and still control the only rightofway entering manhattan from the north, built the first grand central station at 42nd street.
1356 375 17 773 430 393 973 613 962 505 783 122 1187 873 210 675 859 1139 967 1015 508 271 702 1216 918 1467 144 862 1170 1109 335 113 794 1367 762 123 372 1017 948