Learn lots more about Franklinville by following these links !

Introduction
Early History
Death Records 1860-1894

Pioneers
Early Settlers
Joseph McClure
Pardon T Jewell
Marvin Older
Delos E Lyon
Curtis Brothers
Searl and Storrs
Doctors
William McNall

Park Square and Fairs
The Story
The Trial
The Wedding
Franklinville Fair
Bands

Postal History
Introduction
Post Office
Postmasters

Hotels and Inns
Globe Hotel
Hotel Lester
Bard Hotel
Brown Eagle Hotel

Businesses and Industry
Bartholomew's Pharmacy
West Park Square Drug Store
Quality Bakery
Cutlery Industry
Mercantile
Dairy Industry
Firehouse Liquors
Blount Plow

Churches and Buildings
Baptist
Other Churches
Presbyterian
Methodist Episcopal
Amusement Hall
The Miners Cabin

In the Public Trust
Newspapers
Chronicle-Journal
Fire Department
Mt Prospect Cemetery
Public Works
Railroads

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Visit the Existing Stations in NYS website. Railroad gif courtesy of Charles P. Woolever and used with his permission.

"When the War of the Rebellion (Civil War) was finally ended and
peace restored, the men who had survived the battle once more began to
plan for the future of their homes.

The great need of Franklinville was a railroad. All freight and
express came to Hinsdale over the Erie and had to be brought in wagons
to this place. In 1865 there was first proposed the Buffalo &
Washington Railroad. A contract was made in 1866 for the construction
of the road between Buffalo and Emporium, a distance of 110 miles. For
some reason this contract fell though and in June, 1869 a new contract
was made for the construction of the road which had then reached East
Aurora, through to Port Allegany. The first trains ran from Buffalo to
East Aurora on December 23rd, 1867. Trains ran through to Olean in
1873. The first train from Buffalo reached Franklinville June 10,
1872."

The above is excerpted from a history of Franklinville compiled and
edited by R. L. Curtis and printed in the Chronicle-Journal February 15,
1912.

There is an interesting sidebar to the arrival of the railroad. The
second contract for the construction of a railroad bed was negotiated by
an O. G. Steel of Buffalo. The railroad was then known as the Buffalo,
New York and Philadelphia. Mr. Steel sent his son, Frank Steel, here as
the first agent at our depot where he met and married, in March of 1871,
Mary Riggs, a daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Lewis Riggs, the physician-farmer
of the early days. He then built a beautiful home in which she
continued to reside until her death, even though she would later
remarry. Mr. Steel was a man of unusual abilities and education, but
his very brilliant career was cut short by his early death in November,
1881.

We now continue to quote from the R. L. Curtis recitation:

"To assist in building the railroad, Franklinville bonded her
township for thirty thousand dollars worth of stock which was afterwards
sold at a price which reduced the contribution of this town to a
comparatively small sum. In all, the towns in the county through which
the road passed took $150,000 worth of stock. One of the first engines
which attempted to cross the bridge over the Ischua Creek at Cadiz
proved too heavy for the bridge which settled under it. This caused
much delay and considerable trouble to repair the bridge. The railroad
has passed through various hands and has been managed with varying
success, but has finally become a part of the great Pennsylvania Railway
System and is no longer an unknown quantity in the railroad world.
The coming of the railway marked a new and important era in the
history of Franklinville on account of the establishing of the station
at this place" (N.B. The Depot, which has been removed, stood alongside
the railroad tracks approximately opposite the end of Franklin Street.)

"For some years prior to and during the war, Cadiz had become the chief
village in the township and had the largest trade, Here the town
meetings were held; here was the chief post office; here was a tavern,
stores, a blacksmith shop, a saw mill and other industries. Of course
the placing of the station at the distance of a mile or more from Cadiz
caused the removal of stores, shops, etc. to the village of
Franklinville. From that time the village has had a steady growth and
was finally incorporated in 1874."

For ninety nine years passenger trains would pass through
Franklinville. Commuter trains disappeared from the line in 1948. The
last passenger train ran on the Penn-Central System to Franklinville on
April 30, 1971.

Only freight trains whistle for the crossings today.