The Erie Railroad in Springwater

1884 Route Map

1884 Map for the Erie Railroad

The New York and Erie Rail Road was chartered April 24, 1832 and construction from Port Jarvis near NYC began in 1836.  A completed line to Dunkirk on Lake Erie opened May 19, 1861. This line proved influential in the development and economic growth of the Southern Tier, including Hornell, the home of the Erie Railroad repair shops until 1960.

In 1853, the Buffalo, Corning and New York Railroad opened the Erie line between Painted Post and Avon, through Cohocton, Wayland, Springwater, Webster Crossing and Conesus.

In 1895, the Lehigh Valley Railroad (one of five railroads serving Rochester, NY) extended its line to the northern shores of Hemlock Lake. This line did not connect to the line through Springwater.  In 1899, one mile of track was removed at Hemlock Lake, as the City of Rochester took over the lake for its water supply.

The Erie Railroad tracks were removed in 1956 by order of the United States Interstate Commerce Commission in order to promote highway transportation.

Pool Owners Sought To Participate In Citizen Science Survey To Identify Invasive Beetle

The following press release was received via Email on August 3, 2016. As stated below, more information is available by clicking on the ALB and the Pool Survey webpage.

DECLogo

If you own a pool, look for ALB in your pool filters.

For Immediate Release: 08/01/16

Contact: Lori Severino | (518) 402-8000

Press Office | [email protected]

Pool owners are invited to join in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) fifth annual Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) Swimming Pool Survey now through August 30 to help keep watch for these exotic, invasive beetles before they cause serious damage to our forests and street trees. The Citizen Pool Survey takes place this time of year when ALBs are expected to emerge from and become active outside of the trees they are infesting.

ALBs are originally from Asia and have caused the death of hundreds of thousands of trees across the nation, particularly in maple trees in: New York City; Long Island; New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Worcester, Massachusetts and Clermont, Ohio. DEC’s Forest Health Program developed a simple and easy survey for people to participate in who have swimming pools and are willing to keep an eye out for these insects.

Pool monitoring offers a simple, economical approach to surveying for ALBs in the state and has the potential to become New York’s most effective method for detecting the invasive beetles. In addition, this monitoring program gives residents the ability to take an active role in protecting the trees in their yards, communities and forests. With citizens involved in looking for this pest, there is a better chance of finding new infestations early, helping DEC and other state and federal agencies focus their efforts to eliminate infestations.

In addition to owning a swimming pool, participants will need:

  1. A digital camera or phone that takes photos.
  2. The ability to send a photo via email or text message.

Those that don’t have a pool can still help. DEC expanded its photo collection to include anyone who spots a suspect beetle, whether it is found in their pool or not. Residents are also encouraged to submit photos if they believe they’ve found an emerald ash borer (EAB) (see what it looks like on DEC’s EAB web page) or another invasive pest damaging trees. Photos can be submitted to the forest health program email address listed below.

Directions for participating in the pool survey are outlined below:

Step 1: Through the month of August (when adults are active), check the debris collected in your filter and skimmers at least once a week or when you clean your pool.

Step 2: Look for the ALB (See what it looks like on DEC’s ALB web page). Contact the Forest Health Program (see phone number and email address below) for a sheet to help identify insects collected.

Step 3: Take a picture of any insect you think might be an ALB.

Step 4: Send the photos of the insects that look like ALB to [email protected].

Step 5: Freeze the insect in a plastic container until DEC staff respond (typically that will be about a week). Staff will either instruct the participant to discard the insect or give instructions on mailing it, delivering it, or arranging for pick-up.

For more information on ALB and the Pool Survey, visit DEC’s website. To sign up for the survey, contact:

NYSDEC Forest Health Program
Attn: Jessica Cancelliere
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 518.478.7813