Benjamin Wright's 1843 Survey Map for the
New York and Erie Railroad
The charter for the New York & Erie Railroad, a predecessor of the Erie Railroad, was approved by the New York State legislature on April 24, 1832 and specified that the western end of the line must be on the shore of Lake Erie in Chautauqua county. The first survey of the potential route was done by Benjamin Wright from May to December 1834. The map above shows Wright's alternative routes to cross the hills of Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties and reach Lake Erie.
Wright's selected a route through Salamanca to the village of Levant, 3 miles east of Jamestown. From there the line turned north following the Cassadaga valley to Dunkirk. For more information, see the section on the Selection of the Route of the Erie Railroad in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties.
References
- Carlson, Norman P. 1992. "The Advent of the Railroad in Western New York", Jamestown Post-Journal Tempo section. Jamestown, NY: Post-Journal.
- Wright, Benjamin. 1843. Map of the route of the proposed New York & Erie Railroad, as surveyed in 1834, reduced from the plans as returned by Benjn. Wright, Civil Engineer. D. R. Harrison, sc. From the map collection of the Library of Congress.