Erie Railroad Company

Chartered by the New York state legislature in April 1832. Ground was broken on November 7, 1835, near Deposit, New York. Shortly afterwards fire destroyed much of New York and wiped out the fortunes of many of the road's supporters; then a business panic struck the nation. Construction got under way in 1838, and the first train ran in 1841. The whole road from Piermont to Dunkirk was opened in May 1851 with an inspection trip for dignitaries from U. S. President Millard Fillmore and Secretary of State Daniel Webster. Hugh Jewett became president of the Erie in 1874. In 1899 Frederick Underwood began a 25-year term as president of the Erie. He had been associated with James J. Hill, and he was a friend of E. H. Harriman. The business recession of the 1950s prompted Erie to explore the idea of cooperation with Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. An agreement was worked out with the Lackawanna, and the two roads merged as the Erie-Lackawanna on October 17, 1960.