60-529: The Graham Line (also known as the Guymard Cutoff) is the portion of the former Erie Railroad in New York State from Highland Mills (at about 41°20′35″N 74°07′12″W / 41.343°N 74.120°W / 41.343; -74.120 ) to Guymard (at about 41°25′44″N 74°35′42″W / 41.429°N 74.595°W / 41.429; -74.595 ), constructed from 1906 to 1909 as
120-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
180-524: A high-speed freight line. The Graham Line bypasses the original Erie Main Line through Monroe , Chester , Goshen and Middletown . Grade on the Graham Line was not to exceed 0.2 percent eastward or 0.6 percent westward, while the original Main Line built in the 1840s had grades up to 1.25 percent. There were three places where freight trains needed a helper on the old line and none on the new, but just west of
240-601: A reduced contract with the city for advanced life support when needed. In recent years, Dunkirk Fire's dispatching merged with the county dispatch center in Mayville but still maintains its FCC ID of KED 653. Alstar Ambulance has its north county satellite station on Monroe Street in Dunkirk just southwest of NY 60. Dispatching is still controlled by the main station in Jamestown via MEDCOM. Several transportable units are housed here. There
300-466: Is 7a, accommodating for plants that can withstand an average minimum air temperature between 0 °F (−18 °C) and 5 °F (−15 °C). As of the census of 2010, there were 12,563 people, 5,477 households, and 3,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,774.6 people per square mile (1,119.2 per km ). There were 6,071 housing units at an average density of 1,340.6 per square mile (517.4 per km ). The city's racial makeup of
360-484: Is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ), or 1.10%, is water. According to the Köppen climate classification system using 1991-2020 data, Dunkirk has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) closely bordering on both a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and a humid continental climate ( Dfa / Dfb ), owing to the significant moderating influence of Lake Erie that prevails especially during the summer months. The plant hardiness zone
420-623: Is through J.P. Morgan & Company , or the banks". Underwood responded from his home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin , stating "I am running the Erie Railroad: not George W. Perkins, nor J.P. Morgan, nor anybody else." In the mid-1920s, the Van Sweringen brothers of Cleveland, Ohio, assumed control of the Erie, and they installed a new president for the railroad, John Joseph Bernet . Bernet only served as
480-515: The Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins . The Erie doctrine , which governs the application of state common law in federal courts, is still taught in American law schools , as of 2024. By December 1941, the Erie emerged from bankruptcy, following a reorganization process, which involved the purchase of the leased Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad , swapping high rent for lower interest payments, and
540-497: The Brooks Memorial Hospital following a donation by Brooks's daughter in 1898. The city thrived as a steel town for Roebling and others through the 1950s. In addition, it was a manufacturing leader with Plymouth Tube and Ralston Purina . Its coal-burning Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation plant provided power for the region. The plant was mothballed in 2016, negatively impacting Dunkirk's tax base. NRG Energy acquired
600-652: The Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H); on October 17, 1960, the Erie and the DL&;W merged together to create the Erie Lackawanna Railway . However, the merged railroad only operated for sixteen years, before their financial decline forced them to be absorbed into Conrail in 1976. Some former Erie trackage between Hornell and Binghamton were damaged in 1972 by Hurricane Agnes . The Erie's large repair facility in Hornell
660-596: The Erie Lackawanna Railway . The Hornell repair shops were closed in 1976, when Conrail took over, and repair operations moved to the Lackawanna's facility in Scranton, Pennsylvania . Some of the former Erie line between Hornell and Binghamton was damaged in 1972 by Hurricane Agnes , but the damage was quickly repaired and today this line is a key link in the Norfolk Southern Railway 's Southern Tier mainline. What
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#1733086187215720-538: The Hudson River at Piermont , north of New York City , west to Lake Erie at Dunkirk . On February 16, 1841, the railroad was authorized to cross into the northeast corner of Pennsylvania on the west side of the Delaware River , a few miles west of Port Jervis, NY, as the east side was already occupied by the Delaware and Hudson Canal to a point several miles west of Lackawaxen, PA. Construction began in 1836 and
780-693: The Pennsylvania Railroad 's Broadway Limited or New York Central Railroad 's 20th Century Limited . Some of the Erie's most well known trains included the Erie Limited , Lake Cities , Pacific Express , Atlantic Express , Midlander , Southern Tier Express and Mountain Express . All of these had their western termini in Chicago, except the Mountain Express which terminated in Hornell , in
840-555: The Southern Tier of New York. The Erie operated an extensive network of commuter routes in northern New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley of New York. Most of these routes became part of Conrail along with the rest of Erie Lackawanna's rail operations in 1976. The New Jersey routes are now part of NJ Transit's Hoboken Division, originating and terminating at Hoboken Terminal. The Hudson Valley routes are now part of Metro-North Railroad . In addition to its steam and diesel services
900-617: The poverty line , including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. The Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport , in the town of Dunkirk , provides training facilities and charter services. Freight railroad service in Dunkirk is provided by CSX Transportation (via the Buffalo-Cleveland-Willard (Ohio)-Chicago Main Line) and Norfolk Southern Railway (Buffalo-Cleveland-Fort Wayne-Chicago Main Line). The Lake Shore Limited daily Amtrak passenger train passes through
960-531: The " Buffalo Billion ." In 2016, Willie Rosas, a former law enforcement officer, became the first Hispanic to be elected mayor in the State of New York. Dunkirk lies on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie and is 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Buffalo . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 4.6 square miles (11.8 km ), of which 4.5 square miles (11.7 km )
1020-685: The 1600s, when Europeans, mostly French, started trading around the Great Lakes . They were pushed out by the Seneca people , one of the Five Nations of the powerful Iroquois League , based here and further east in New York. The European-American demarcation and settlement of Chadwick Bay and subsequent naming of Dunkirk - after Dunkirk in France - began in earnest in 1826. The Dunkirk Lighthouse at Point Gratiot
1080-826: The Cleveland Union Terminal Company allowed the Erie to use the Union Terminal adjacent to Terminal Tower in lieu of its old station. That same year, the Erie purchased a share of the Niagara Junction Railway , along with the New York Central and the Lehigh Valley . On March 17, 1954, the Erie completely dieselized their locomotive roster, when K-1 class 4-6-2 No. 2530 hauled the railroad's final steam-powered commuter train between Jersey City and Spring Valley, New York . Later that same year,
1140-634: The Erie Railroad proved influential in the development and economic growth of the Southern Tier of New York state , including the cities of Binghamton , Elmira , and Hornell . The Erie Railroad repair shops were located in Hornell and was Hornell's largest employer. Hornell was also where Erie's mainline split into two routes with one proceeding northwest to Buffalo and the other west to Chicago. On October 17, 1960, Erie Railroad merged with its former rival, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad , to form
1200-507: The Erie also operated an electric commuter rail line to its terminal station in Rochester, New York . The station was one of the Erie's few electrified railroad stations, and the railroad became one of the first to provide electric commuter services in 1907. As part of the 30th anniversary of Norfolk Southern Railway being formed, NS decided to paint 20 new locomotives into the paint scheme of predecessor railroads. NS #1068, an EMD SD70ACe ,
1260-427: The Erie built a third rail along the entire mainline from Buffalo to Jersey City. The third rail installation and standard-gauge conversion projects were so expensive, that the railroad was forced into bankruptcy. The Erie still did not see profits, and was sold in 1878 via bankruptcy reorganization to become the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad. On June 22, 1880, the railroad’s standard-gauge conversion process
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#17330861872151320-619: The Erie he managed to take $ 4 million, which he claimed was the railroad's "debt" to him. In 1869, the railroad moved its main shop facilities from Dunkirk to Buffalo . Rather than demolishing the shops in Dunkirk, the facility was leased to Horatio G. Brooks , the former chief engineer of the NY&;E who was at the controls of the first train into Dunkirk in 1851. Horatio Brooks used the facilities to begin Brooks Locomotive Works , which remained in independent business until 1901 when it
1380-443: The Erie's president from January 1927 to May 1929, but during that time, he initiated a reorganization and cost-cutting program to improve the company's operations and finances. He also arranged for the Erie to replace most of their steam locomotives and rolling stock with newly-built standardized equipment to speed up their freight operations, and it involved the introduction of the Erie's fleet of 2-8-4 "Berkshire" locomotives. In
1440-515: The Graham Line, marking the first time it had hosted scheduled passenger service. The line also got its first passenger stations, at Salisbury Mills-Cornwall , Campbell Hall , and Middletown (which is not actually in Middletown but nearby). Following the Metro-North change and discontinuance of its own local freight service, Conrail , owner of the railroad, was able to abandon the original Main Line
1500-541: The Main Line at Harriman ) to Highland Mills was part of the Erie's original Newburgh Branch , opened in 1869, but it was considered part of the Graham Line after that branch closed to passenger service in 1935. The old Main Line was abandoned in 1954 west of Howells, where the two lines came side by side, and after that date the Graham Line was considered to end at Howells Junction. Effective April 18, 1983, Metro-North Railroad shifted its Port Jervis Line service to run on
1560-546: The NYS&;W allowed the Erie to gain access to anthracite coal mines south of Scranton, Pennsylvania , competing with coal operations from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). George W. Perkins brought Frederick D. Underwood into the Erie Railroad in 1910. During the eastern railroad strike of 1913 Underwood agreed to accept any ruling made by mediators under the Newlands Reclamation Act . One of
1620-473: The New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad went into bankruptcy reorganization again, and then the company emerged in 1895 as the Erie Railroad. By that time, the company began to obtain financial support from J. P. Morgan . In 1898, the Erie obtained a subsidiary, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W), after Morgan purchased the majority of their shares, on the Erie's behalf. The control of
1680-489: The abandonment of duplicate freight facilities in Binghamton and Elmira, New York. Between 1956 and 1957, the Erie shifted its passenger trains from its Pavonia Terminal to the DL&W's newer Hoboken Terminal . The DL&W also abandoned most of their mainline between Binghamton and Elmira, in favor of the Erie's parallel mainline, in 1958. The merger negotiations subsequently accelerated, and they briefly considered including
1740-466: The city but does not stop. Erie Railroad and New York Central trains stopped at one station. Nickel Plate and Pennsylvania Railroad trains stopped at another station. As recently as 1968 the New York Central operated a Buffalo-Chicago daytime train, #51, the former Empire State Express , that made a stop westbound in Dunkirk. Two other daily trains eastbound stopped in Dunkirk, #64 and #90,
1800-411: The city was 65.70% White , 5.1% Black or African American , 0.52% Native American , 0.50 Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 9.14% from other races , and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.40% of the population. There were 5,477 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 16.7% had
1860-602: The company; Cornelius Vanderbilt versus Daniel Drew , James Fisk and Jay Gould . Gould ultimately triumphed in this struggle, but was forced to relinquish control in 1872–73 due to unfavorable public opinion following his involvement in the 1869 gold-rigging scandal and to his loss of $ 1 million of Erie Railroad stock to the British con-man Lord Gordon-Gordon . Investors in the railroad were also weary of Gould's financial wars with Vanderbilt that caused wild stock price fluctuations and operating losses from rate battles. Upon leaving
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1920-408: The cutoff the grade up from Port Jervis to Guymard could not be improved, and remained unchanged as the only place in the area needing a helper. The sharpest curve on the old line was 7 degrees and on the new was 1 degree 30 minutes. The Graham Line has no grade crossings, which was a rarity on the Erie. The downside of the improved grade and curvature is that the Graham Line is seven miles longer than
1980-464: The cutoff was named for the little-known station at its west end, where it joins the original Main Line on the grade down to Port Jervis. In a lawsuit of this same period, the owners of the Guymard Lead and Zinc Mine, inactive since 1876, sued the Erie for building a "spur" line that blocked their access, which may have influenced the Erie to change the name. The short section from Newburgh Junction (on
2040-459: The demands made by Erie employees was a 20% increase in wages. Erie management had refused a wage increase, but compromised by asking employees to wait until January, 1915 for any advance. Union leaders agreed to make this an issue which Erie management would settle with its own men. However, W.G. Lee, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, asserted that the only way "to deal with the Erie
2100-430: The following year. Using the Graham Line avoided the many grade crossings in the old town centers, improving safety and train speed. But the Graham Line, designed entirely for freight trains, has the disadvantage for passenger services of running through much less-populated areas. Commuters arrive at the Graham Line stations almost entirely by automobile. Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad ( reporting mark ERIE )
2160-467: The former Chicagoan. In the late 1990s Amtrak considered adding the city as a stop between Buffalo and Erie. Dunkirk was listed as a stop with service "to commence on a date to be announced" on several timetables, but the stop was never added. The New York State Thruway ( Interstate 90 ) passes through the southern edge of the city, with access from Exit 59 ( NY Route 60 ) just east of the city limits. The Thruway leads northeast 42 miles (68 km) to
2220-516: The leadership of Police Chief David Ortolano. It employs full-time officers and part-time dispatchers for the police department only. Dunkirk has a paid fire department under the leadership of Fire Chief Mike Edwards. There are three stations throughout the city staffed by the cities 24 Firefighter/EMT's. The firefighters belong to IAFF Local 616, the union for the city's firefighters. As of 2011, Dunkirk Fire started handling 90 percent of EMS transports and billing accordingly. Alstar Ambulance still has
2280-467: The mid-1930s, both Van Sweringen brothers died at an early age, before they could carry out any further plans they had for the Erie and their other railroads. Despite the ravages of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Erie managed to continue operations on their own, until they filed for bankruptcy again, on January 18, 1938. That same year, the Erie was involved in the U.S. Supreme Court case,
2340-460: The model for similar relief efforts in cities elsewhere in the United States. Beginning in the 1980s, the city refocused its economic efforts on revitalizing its pier and fishing, to improve the quality of life for residents and attract more tourists. In addition, in 2016 it attracted a high-tech drug manufacturing project as part of business related to the state project of area investment called
2400-687: The original mainline. Maintaining the desired grade required two notable engineering features: the Moodna Viaduct and the Otisville Tunnel . The line was originally called the Guymard Cutoff. The Erie's chief engineer, James Graham, died in February 1909, a month after the line was fully opened to traffic. By 1911, the Guymard station was renamed Graham and the cutoff became the Graham Line. In both cases,
2460-459: The outskirts of Buffalo and southwest 28 miles (45 km) to the Pennsylvania border. New York State Route 5 runs through the center of the city, leading northeast 9 miles (14 km) to Silver Creek and southwest 18 miles (29 km) to Westfield . New York State Route 60 runs from Dunkirk south, heading toward Jamestown, New York . The city of Dunkirk has its own police force under
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2520-639: The plant and proceeded with plans to convert it from coal-burning to run on natural gas. Since the 1970s, population has declined following a regional drop in manufacturing as the steel industry and other restructured. Overall employment has declined in the area. Dunkirk gained international recognition in 1946 for the Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque campaign. It was a humanitarian assistance program for its namesake and sister city, Dunkerque, France, which had been devastated in World War II . Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque became
2580-403: The purchase of formerly-subsidized and leased lines. In 1940, the NYS&W became disbanded from the Erie's control, as part of their own bankruptcy reorganization, and in the process, the Erie was entrusted ownership of their Susquehanna Connecting Railroad. The Erie's reorganization was deemed a success, since the railroad managed to pay dividends to their shareholders. On September 15, 1948,
2640-537: The railroad built the Starrucca Viaduct , a stone railroad bridge over Starrucca Creek in Lanesboro, Pennsylvania , which has survived and is still in use today. In fact, current owner Central New York Railroad spent $ 3.2 million in 2021 centering its single remaining track, re- ballasting and repairing masonry. The viaduct is 1,040 feet (317 m) long, 100 feet (30.5 m) high and 25 feet (7.6 m) wide at
2700-450: The railroad interchanged traffic by means of truck exchange , including through passenger and freight connections to St. Louis , Missouri, using a Nutter car hoist in Urbana, Ohio . Beginning in 1876, the Erie carried out their plans to convert their trackage to standard gauge, since it was deemed that the standard gauge-broad gauge interchange operations could not justify the costs. By 1878,
2760-426: The railroad launched trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC) services. Erie Railroad prospered throughout the mid-1950s, but their profits were simultaneously on a decline. The company's 1957 income was half of that of 1956; by 1958 and 1959, Erie Railroad posted large deficits. The Erie's financial losses resulted in them entering negotiations to merge with the nearby Delaware, Lackawanna and Western. The proposed merger led to
2820-399: The railway. It is reported that Webster viewed the entire run from a rocking chair attached to a flatcar, with a steamer rug and jug of high-quality Medford rum . At stops, he would step off the flatcar and give speeches. The line was built at 6 ft ( 1,829 mm ) wide gauge ; this was believed to be a superior technology to standard gauge, providing more stability. In 1848,
2880-452: The second half of the 19th century was Brooks Locomotive Works , founded in 1869 by Horatio G. Brooks . The Brooks plant built almost 4,000 steam locomotives , for which they won several awards at international exhibitions, and a few of their locomotives were hailed as the fastest and largest locomotives in the world. Brooks Locomotive Works was merged into American Locomotive Company in 1901. The homestead of Horatio G. Brooks became
2940-599: The top. It is the oldest stone rail bridge in Pennsylvania still in use. As stated in the introduction, the shops in Hornell, New York were the largest on the Erie system beginning in the late 1920s, processing about 350 locomotives per year with "classified" (heavy) repairs. However, the first major repair facilities were built in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania in 1848, which were enlarged in 1863 to employ 700 workers. The primary car shops were located in Meadville, Pennsylvania in
3000-522: The western part of the state, employing 3,500 in 1912. In August 1859, the company went into receivership due to inability to make payments on the debts incurred for the large costs of building, and, on June 25, 1861, it was reorganized as the Erie Railway. This was the first bankruptcy of a major trunk line in the U.S. In the Erie War of the 1860s, four well-known financiers struggled for control of
3060-413: Was 12,743 as of the 2020 census . Dunkirk is bordered on the north by Lake Erie . It shares a border with the village of Fredonia to the south, and with the town of Dunkirk to the east and west. Dunkirk is the westernmost city in the state of New York . The Iroquoian languages -speaking Erie people occupied this area of the forested lakefront along the southern shore of Lake Erie well into
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#17330861872153120-408: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 28,313, and the median income for a family was $ 35,058. Males had a median income of $ 29,462 versus $ 21,682 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,482. About 18.5% of families and 22.3% of the population were below
3180-520: Was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States , originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey , with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York . The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 merger with the former Atlantic and Great Western Railroad , also known as the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad (NYPANO RR). The mainline route of
3240-481: Was built soon after and still stands. Dunkirk served as a minor railroad hub and steamship port on Lake Erie into the early 1900s. Both freight and passenger ships traveled the lakes. The city has been the site of the Chautauqua County Fair during the summer for more than 140 years, with the fairgrounds in use for sporadic events and functions at other points in the year. [1] A major employer in Dunkirk in
3300-461: Was closed following Conrail's takeover, and operations were consolidated at the Lackawanna's Scranton facility. A map from 1960 shows that the Erie had some control over the former Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway and the New York Central from Lawrenceville to Newberry Junction, near Williamsport, PA. The Erie Railroad operated a number of named passenger trains, although none were as well-known or successful as others like
3360-595: Was completed. In 1886, it was reported that the Erie and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway shared ferry services between their two Jersey City terminals, the larger being Pavonia Terminal , and Fulton Ferry in Brooklyn, New York for 11 round trips on weekdays and Saturdays, and four round trips on Sunday. In 1889, it opened a new bridge across the Hackensack River improving service to its terminals. By 1893,
3420-469: Was left of the Erie Lackawanna became part of Conrail in 1976. In 1983, remnants of the Erie Railroad became part of New Jersey Transit rail operations , including parts of its Main Line , and most of the surviving Erie Railroad routes are now operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway . The New York and Erie Rail Road was chartered on April 24, 1832, by New York governor Enos T. Throop to connect
3480-407: Was merged with seven other locomotive manufacturing firms to create ALCO . ALCO continued new locomotive production at this facility until 1934, then closed the plant completely in 1962. The cost of breaking bulk cargo in order to interchange with standard gauge lines led the Erie to introduce a line of cars designed to operate on both broad gauge and standard gauge trucks . Beginning in 1871,
3540-526: Was opened in sections until reaching the full length to Dunkirk on May 19, 1851. At Dunkirk, steamboats continued across Lake Erie to Detroit, Michigan . The line crossed the Kittatinny Mountains at 870 feet. When the route was completed in May, 1851, President Millard Fillmore and several members of his cabinet, including Secretary of State Daniel Webster , made a special, two-day excursion run to open
3600-493: Was painted into Erie Railroad's green passenger scheme. It was released on May 25, 2012. In October 2023, as part of the 40th Anniversary of NJ Transit Rail Operations , EMD GP40PH-2 B No. 4210 was painted into the Erie Railroad's black-and-yellow scheme. Dunkirk, New York Dunkirk is a city in Chautauqua County, New York , United States. It was settled around 1805 and incorporated in 1880. The population
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