TALES FROM THE DUMPSTER

Part II

THE O&W RAILWAY STATION IN ACCORD

The telling of this Tale was promised in the December, 2007 issue of The Accordian. The

“Dumpster Tale” about the NY O&W Railway in the Town of Rochester can be told because of the

quick action of Lewis Waruch. One day during the 1980s, Lewis stopped by the railroad station

and discovered that heaps of accumulated records had been dumped on the floor of the

stationmaster’s office, ready for disposal in preparation for sale of the station to a private

owner. Lewis found some cardboard boxes and baskets, gathered up the scattered books, papers,

and even a couple of small red tins of tobacco, and gave storage space to these irreplaceable

memorabilia from that day until now.

The Town and the Stationmaster

Careful perusal of these rescued papers from the stationmaster’s office provides us with an

intimate picture of important facets of life in the Town of Rochester during the 1930s, ‘40s,

and ‘50s. A central figure in the town’s railroad era was stationmaster Mike Palmer who

presided over a myriad of railroad-related activities between 1918 and 1948. (Others held the

position of stationmaster after the railroad began running through Accord in 1902, and after

1948 until railroad service here ended in 1957.)

In addition to his “day (and night) job”, Mike was a faithful participant in the work of the

Accord Fire Company.

As revealed in the old paperwork, the job of stationmaster was extraordinarily demanding and

complex, requiring endless record keeping, attention to detail, and hours spent sending and

receiving Western Union telegrams. In fact, Mike was depended upon by most people in the town

at one time or another.

The Railroad and the Resort Industry

As stationmaster, Mike Palmer played a pivotal role during the summer months in the Town of

Rochester, as he supervised incoming and outgoing passenger and freight traffic for the over 60

hotels, boarding houses, bungalow colonies and camps which operated throughout the town between

Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Actually the O&W Railway worked hard to promote the resort industry in towns along its

routes, for its own financial benefit. In July, 1936, the following letter was sent by the O&W

Railway to stationmasters in Ulster and Sullivan counties:

“Gentlemen:

We are desirous of revising our list of hotels and boarding houses in your vicinity who

use, or could use, our train service, and wish you would fill out the enclosed blank and return

to this office inserting thereon the hotels and boarding houses that are not listed at your

station in our 1936 Vacation Guide.

It is important that the proprietor’s name, name of hotel or boarding house, P.O.

Address be accurately stated.

Prompt attention will be appreciated.

Yours very truly,”

Mike Palmer replied with an extensive handwritten list of the local “resorts,” complete with

proprietor names and number of guest spaces available: Over 60 of these establishments had

Accord as their address, while 2 were listed in Kyserike, with room for a total of some 3000

guests. (This fascinating list can be seen in the archives at the Museum on Main Street.)

Another letter from the NY O&W Passenger Traffic Department, written in June of 1945 to Mike

Palmer reads:

“Now that all War Restrictions have been removed relative to advertising vacation resorts, it

is our aim to re-establish the NY O&W “Vacation Guide.” Please send us proprietor’s names and

addresses for hotels, farms and boarding houses in your area at or nearby your station.”

Mr. Palmer’s answer to this letter was as follows:

“Local proprietors are not interested in being listed in the O&W Vacation Guide. They did not

advertise last year and had to turn people away as it was, even with very little passenger train

service.”

Other letters asked Mike Palmer to arrange transportation of children and their baggage to

and from summer camps in the town.

Freight

A predominant category of records and correspondence that still exist deal with freight

shipments, both inbound and outbound, for businesses and individuals in the town.

Palmer to Assistant State Geologist, Education Building, Albany (1937):

“I am sending millstones made by Harry Lawrence. The stone was taken from the Shawangunk

Mountains near Accord, N.Y. It I s claimed that this stone is the hardest in the United

States.”

Outbound shipping orders for 1931 include a flatcar with bulldozer, bundles of used burlap

bags, empty ammonia bottles, and scrap steel.

Examples of incoming shipments included:

For Turner and Cohen, herring (1937) and sticky flypaper (1945);

For Sykes Farm, garden seed and a wooden hand pump (1937);

For Accord Farmers Coop, one drum of cod liver oil (1937);

For Vandemarks Garage, 43 loose pneumatic rubber tires.

Shrubs and cases of nursery stock for Valley Gardens (1937 and 1945);

Field Peas and Alfalfa Seed for Earl Tolski (1937);

Farm machinery parts for John Schoonmaker (1937)’

For Louis Cohen, plumbing items for bathrooms, and asphalt shingles.

Other shipments received at the Accord station included cotton mattresses, furniture, road

grader blade, paint, feed, bags of dried skim milk, and caskets.

More delivery receipts list gas ranges for Terwilliger Brothers (1946), one boat for Louis

Cohen (1948), seven bags of shelled corn for Ed Davenport, and 600 bags of fertilizer for Walter

Davenport and Sons.

Inbound records from 1951 mention shipments of Gym mats for Kerhonkson High School.

Outbound shipping orders for 1945-46 include: 12 millstones of 700 lb. each to Oakfield,

N.Y. from Henry Lawrence; and, a carload of millstones, weight 36,000 lb., to East St. Louis,

Illinois from George Coddington.

All this commercial activity which utilized the Accord Station was scheduled and managed by

Station Agent Palmer. There were three private sidings, for William Anderson Mill, for Accord

Lime Industry (DeVoe), and for the Dairymens League Cooperative Creamery. Inbound and outbound

cars for everyone else were switched to the “team track” neighborhood siding.

Forms and Reports

Release of Liability Forms were filled out for damage to baggage and other passenger

belongings: “hole in top,” “lock broken,” “top open,” “top broken,” “damaged pocketbook.”

Demurrage Reports consisted of detailed daily records of inbound freight for local businesses

including columns for Car number, Contents, Consignee, Date and Time Received, Date and Time

Released, and charge for more than 25 hours of time between arrival and unloading.

Stationmaster Palmer wrote countless letters to one or another of the O&W Railway

Supervisors:

“We are shipping each Monday 5-7 cases of eggs to Pleasantville, N.Y. They were arriving on

Tuesday. Now not until Thursday. They need to get through by the next day.”

“Regarding our great difficulty in egg shipments, the Interstate Commerce Commission has ruled

that second-hand fiber egg cases are not to be used for the shipping of eggs.”

And there are many letters attempting to trace lost shipments to and from local residents.

Other Railroad Matters

The complexities of the job of station agent are further demonstrated by correspondence

regarding other matters of railroad management.

1938 – Michael Palmer to Assistant Engineer in Middletown:

“Repairs are needed at the Accord Station with regards to gutters, slate shingles and leakage

in the chimney corner.”

Another letter reads,

“The back waiting room door will not stay closed. A new door closer is needed.”

Michael Palmer to Middletown Superintendent:

“The outside of all windows can be reached with a window brush from the

ground”;

“DeVoe wants a special rate for shipping crushed stone (from quarry across Granite Road from

the present Town Hall) for poultry grit…..I would like to meet with a representative of the

railroad to talk it over with him”;

“I beg to advise you that we are losing business most every day on account of no connections

to New York on Train #404 on weekdays”.

An answer came the next day from the Middletown Superintendent to Mike Palmer:

“We are now arranging for such connection and expect it to become effective in six

days time.”

In 1945, the first postwar year, local railroads had to work hard for permission to return

passenger and freight service to pre-war levels. Each station agent was asked to provide

records of carloads received between 1938 and 1944 in the effort to combat forced “abandonment”

of local service.

Of equal value in justifying the continuing existence of railroad service were the Monthly

Ticket and Baggage Reports from the 1930s and early 1940s. These show steady annual increases

in both baggage and tickets that were handled at the Accord station.

Letter from Mike Palmer to NY O&W office in New York, N.Y written in May of 1945:

“Please advise if there is going to be passenger service between Summitville and Accord this

summer.”

The answer came back, “Probably not.”

A letter written in February, 1945 from the O&W to its station agents regarding the

distribution of stove coal to the stations:

“ Accord, five tons. DO NOT unload more than the amount allotted to your station. This is

a foreign car (not O&W) and must be unloaded PROMPTLY.”

Letter of concern from Palmer to Freight Agent in Middletown, July, 1945:

“A shipment has been received by Camp Shangri La of sodium hypochlorite solution in glass

bottles with metal lids. Bottles were broken, lids corroded loose, carton wet. This is a very

dangerous solution to handle – it eats hands or gloves and any other freight it contacts. The

damage must be enormous to other freight.”

Station agents were responsible for filling out a Daily Track Check plus weather report for

their section of the line.

Mike Palmer to Section Foreman:

“Please look after Cahill fence and gate along right of way between Accord and Kyserike (now the

Philliber farm on Lucas Turnpike). This was reported but nothing has been done.”

Similar problems were reported almost weekly all along the local railroad right-of-way.

Mike Palmer to Middletown office:

“We were alerted by William Countryman living near the rock cut just south of Accord that there

was a large rock on the tracks. This was removed before the way-freight arrived. Mr.

Countryman needs to be thanked.”

Personnel Matters

Voluminous correspondence involved assignment of work hours, vacation time, and helpers for

the station agents.

April 27, 1938 – To Middletown Superintendent from Mike Palmer:

“In regards to my son handling Napanoch this summer, I don’t think it advisable for him

to go there on account that I don’t think that he has had enough experience to handle it. It

would be too much responsibility for him. I wouldn’t want him to go there and make a blunder of

it. Would rather have him to have a helpers job for the first where he will have supervision.

Mr. Conner told me that no one had applied for the helpers job at Summitville and he could have

it as far as he was concerned.

“After the boy has had a summers experience he would be better fitted for a position like

Napanoch.

“I thank you very much for considering him.

Yours truly,”

May 10, 1938 – To Mr. M.P. Palmer from Superintendent in Middletown:

“On May 27 and 28th, your assignment will be from 9:45 AM to 6:45 PM one hour for meal and cover

Train 417. You will leave the lights on for Train #415 on these dates.

“Commencing Sunday May 29th and each Sunday thereafter, you will cover trains #437, 416 and 406

for which you will be paid 2 calls. On Monday May 30th, your assignment will be from 7:30 AM to

4:30 PM with one hour for meal.

Acknowledge receipt.

Yours truly,

P.S. On Monday May 30th, you

Will work from 3:30 PM to

7:15 PM, cover Trains 416

& 496.”

May 12, 1938 – To Middletown Superintendent from Mike Palmer:

“Your letter under date of May 10th relative to assignment received.

“On May 27 and 28 you make the hours from 9:45 am to 6:45 pm and etc. Most of the

business is done in the morning in regards to delivering freight to the creamery and then to the

feed store early in the morning and the milk has to be at the creamery by 8 am and to make it

worse they are now bringing the biggest part of the Kyserike creamery milk near the station here

and transferring it to a larger track and that brings more customers around. The last time that

you made my hours from 9:45 am there were 9 customers here. This has been done several times

in the past but I have opened up at the usual time and also covered the last train as well.

“It makes it very bad for the public.

“I would suggest that the station be opened up at the usual time in the mornings and

let the baggage master look after the baggage and it has been done in the past 6 or 7 years

during the summer schedule. It has always worked out this way. I don’t know of any complaints.

The Baggage master makes up the duplicates before he arrives at the station and the passengers

take their baggage without any confusion what so ever.

“This morning between the hours of 7:30 am and 9:45 am I had 17 customers, 9 for

railroad business and 8 for express.

“Please do not think that I want to come around in the morning and thing to get out at

night as it makes no difference to me personally as I am usually around unless I am going away

after I am through work. I am giving you the facts as I see them.

“In the body of your letter you say Monday May 30th from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and in the

PS 3:30 pm to 7:15 pm. This will be ok if there is no wayfreight or freight truck on this day.

“Yours truly,”

In 1943, Mike Palmer’s work hours were 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with one hour for the noon

meal. Sunday, 10:10-12:10 and 4:30-5:30. In June, 1943 there were three northbound and three

southbound passenger trains between Summitville and Accord.

July, 1944 – Mike Palmer to Station Inspector in Middletown:

“Request for helper. On June 24th I worked 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. Most of Sunday, June

25th. (There is supposed to be one hour of work on Sunday afternoon for one train.) Monday,

26th – 7:30 am to 11 pm. June 27th – 6 am to 7 pm. Traffic will be heavy again August 23-

September 5. I am requesting a helper. It is impossible for me to do it alone. I need a

helper or a replacement for myself.”

Answer from Middletown:

“Request for helper denied.”

August, 1945 – From Middletown General Superintendent to Agent Palmer:

“Your assignment will be from 8-5 daily except Sunday, with one hour for a meal.”

Western Union Telegrams

In addition to all the responsibilities mentioned above for the O&W stationmasters, one of

the most important demands of the job was the skill of sending and receiving messages using

Morse Code and the telegrapher’s key. A number of “old timers” recall vividly the unmistakable

sound of the clicking of that key.

Copies of many, many of the telegrams handled by the Agent Palmer still exist, some typed but

most written out longhand. One of the most difficult aspects of the process was making sure

that the telegraphed information got to the intended recipient. Attempt to deliver first would

be made by phone. If no answer, the telegram would be put in the mail.

June 1949 – To Jack Lederman, Hotel Greenacres:

“Sorry I am unable to work for you this summer. My father a brewery worker got disgusted after

weeks of strike and decided to buy a luncheonette business and I must work with him.

Regretfully

yours, Irwin S., Brooklyn.”

1951 – To Jacob Miller from the War Department:

“Remains of the late Pvt. Percy Miller are en route to the US, to be delivered to Humiston

Funeral Parlor in several weeks. Will arrive at railroad station.”

Michael Palmer’s handwritten comment on the telegram:

“Unable to locate Jacob Miller. No one knows where he is. Telegram

undelivered.”

To Cold Spring House:

“ Cancel reservation. Alex N____”

From bill collector to ________(local bungalow colony):

“Why have we not heard from you. Drastic action will be taken unless satisfactory settlement

made right now.”

To McGuffy camp from a parent:

“Under no circumstances release my children to Mrs. _________. Letter follows.”

Hub of the Community

Quite clearly, both Stationmaster Palmer and the NY O&W Railway were extremely important

components of this community for many years. The lives of nearly every resident in the Town of

Rochester were affected in one way or another by the services of the railroad, and by the hard

work of Michael Palmer, in his devotion to the responsibilities of his job and in taking care of

things for the individuals and businesses that depended upon him.

Back to History page