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THE CAPE VINCENT AND
ROME RAILROAD
The history of the turnpikes and railroad
interests of the county is fully given in special chapters, but a brief
statement here seems to be in place respecting this town. The first
thoroughfare was the State road, which was completed from Brownville to
Port Putnam in 1803. The turnpike was made several years later; and in
1832 a Black River company was organized, with legal authority to build
either a canal railroad from Rome to Cape Vincent, Sacket's Harbor, or
Ogdensburgh. But this company did not exist very long. In 1836 another act
of the legislature granted the right of constructing the Rome and Cape
Vincent railroad, which likewise failed after a few months of struggle.
Nine years later the matter was again agitated, with more capital within
reach, more meetings in Kingston, Cape Vincent, and Watertown, and in 1848
work was commenced at Rome, and the last rail laid to the shore of the St.
Lawrence in the spring of 1852. The first train appeared in April of that
year amid great rejoicing and hearty cheers. Regular trains began to run
in the following May. The Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburgh company, which
also controls the Lake Ontario Shore road to Niagara river, now owning and
successfully managing the route, have 3000 feet of wharfage on the front
of the village. The freight-house is 600-feet long, and the passenger
depot, including the hotel, is 200 by 50 feet. No cars are run on the
Sabbath, and no accidents of any moment have ever occurred. The financial
embarrassment of the times does not affect the successful management of
the entire line, although it may have an effect upon the pockets of the
stockholders.
Twenty-two years ago five propellers
connected the Cape Vincent and Rome railroad with the Michigan Central at
Detroit, by means of which immense quantities of freight were transported
to and from this port. The magnificent Ontario steamers "Bay
State" and "New York" touched here every day in their trip
between Ogdensburgh and Lewistown; and the ferry line to Kingston brought
the town into direct communication with another steamboat route, which
extended to all the principal landings on the Canadian side of the lake.
(Jefferson
County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878 - Transcribed by Holice B.Young. Original HTML by Debbie
Axtman) top
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