County Historian Writes:
“Iron Horses” Made First Trip Through Little Falls in August 1836

By H. Paul Draheim
Herkimer County Historian

The New York Central Railroad was like a tree with roots in the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys, and a trunk extending westward to Chicago and St. Louis.

From these main arteries, including the main line to Boston, there were branches that linked much of the Northeast section of the United States, east of the Mississippi River, with Herkimer and Little Falls and the Mohawk Valley.

It all started about 157 years ago when the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad was chartered by the New York State Legislature.  Charles Fredrick Carter, author of “When Railroad were New” recorded the primitive line, only 17 miles long, built under this charter and was the beginning of the New York Central System.

It was one of the first important railroads to be established in America.  It grew into a great transportation system that became one of the foremost in the world.

Nature showed the way for this pioneer railroad through the only gap in the Appalachian chain of mountains between the Carolinas and Canada.

Indians had used this “water level route” (Mohawk and Hudson Valleys), then pioneers, then the Erie Canal, next the railroad and family the New York State (Dewey) Thruway.

 In development of the nation, Carter wrote, the New York Central played an essential role.  It became the principal rail highway over which flowed the stream of emigration to the West.  It was for many years the main avenue of communication between East and West for descendants of those pioneer emigrants.

The New York Central System, the Water Level Route, and later the Penn-Central, was built up from about 186 predecessor companies.  Its main line extended from New York City (and Boston) to Chicago, with branches making a total of nearly 7,000 miles.

The branches included the Mohawk & Malone Railroad that rooted in Herkimer, and linked with the Adirondack Division which fed the North Country Adirondacks. Also, the branch that linked Little Falls, via Dolgeville, with the Iron Mines in Salisbury.

Combined with other rail networks in the NYC system, the trackage totaled about 11,000 miles and represented about 560 original companies.

“The story of the origin and growth of this great railroad system constitutes one of the most fascinating romances of achievement in which the history of America abounds,” Carter wrote.

Frist in the sequence of events which led to the formation of the system was the belief George W. Featherstonbaugh, of Duanesburg, Schenectady County, that a steam locomotive running on iron rails would be an improvement of any system of transportation in vogue in 1812.

Although Featherstonbaugh was considered a rich man, with a reptation as an explorer, scientist and author and was a friend of some of the new nation’s leading citizens, for a long time he was unable to convert anyone to his views.  In fact most people ridiculed his ideas about railroads.

As no one else would take the initiative, Featherstonbaugh, joined by Stephen Van Rensselaer, the last patron, applied to the State Legislature for a charter for a railroad to be called “The Mohawk & Hudson Rail Road.”

It was to run between Albany and Schenectady.  The charter was granted on April 17, 1926.  Action under it was delayed for two years until it was amended to remove some objectionable clauses.  Construction began in 1930.

The first train carrying passengers on the Mohawk & Hudson Rail Road, Aug. 9, 1931, was drawn by the famous locomotive “DeWitt Clinton,” built in the West Point Foundry in New York City.  In the olden days each locomotive received the name of some outstanding person.

In the seven years from 1832 to 1939 the Mohawk and Hudson earned $692,800, more than 80 percent of which was from passenger traffic.

Thus, it was seen, even in the beginning, that the New York Central would become a passenger carrying railroad.

On the afternoon of Aug 1, 1836, two “iron horses” belching cinders and smoke came chugging through Little Falls and Herkimer, each pulling ten “handsome pleasure coaches” in which sat a begrimed and jostled, but gay party of high-hatted gentlemen and bonneted lades.

It was a “Red Letter Day” for this section of the Mohawk Valley.  It was the opening of the Utica & Schenectady Rail Road, at Schenectady.

The first to arrive was the train the pulled by the “DeWitt Clinton.”

Railroading in the United States was only seven years old.  It was only five years old after the same “DeWitt Clinton” made its historic trip from Albany to Schenectady.

The DeWitt Clinton was the first steam engine ever to run in New York State.

Utica, in 1836, was a city of only four years.  It was a great day not only for folks in Utica, but all along the line.  People flocked along the Mohawk River banks to watch the two trains travel westward.

The snorting little engines were nothing short of fiery demons to the numerous horses attached to carts, carriages and wagons filled with people from the countryside,

The badly frightened animals played havoc with the crowds.  Carriages were upset.  Occupants were thrown out.  In several instances the horses ran away.

It also should be noted that taverns were taxed to accommodate the many visitors, including the railroad party, all of whom spent the night in Utica to await the next morning when regular passenger service began.

So eager was the public to try out this new mode of travel along the scenic Mohawk Valley that 300 passengers boarded the first train to huff-and-puff its way eastward to Schenectady.  It was 8 A.M. on Aug.2.  It took six and one-half hours to make the 78 mile trip to Schenectady.  In later years, the 1920’s it required only an hour.