Background:
As a child I spent many happy hours playing along the old Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad (B&S) tracks near my hometown of Orangeville, Pa. I climbed the trestles and explored the abandoned depot. I listened to my parents and grandparents tell stories about the railroad and riding the trains from Orangeville south to Bloomsburg or north to Benton or Jamison City. I always listened eagerly to learn more about the old B&S.
Recently, while rummaging through my parents attic, I came across some old pictures of the B&S and an old stock certificate that had belonged to my great grandfather. This brought on new interest in the B&S.
Seeking more information, I found there was little to be had, and what there was I found scattered and incomplete.
Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to collect and record the available information on the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad from 1883-1927 in one volume for future reference.
Review of Literature:
Much of my information was gained from personal interviews and listening to my elders since boyhood. Some printed material that was very helpful was found.
The book Charles R. Buckalew: Democratic Statesman in a Republican Era, by W. W. Hummel, tells how senator Buckalew fought to have the railroad built from Bloomsburg north to the rich forest lands of Sullivan County, and how he ran the railroad through three terms as its president. Although his association with the B&S was but a short chapter in the life of this prominent Pennsylvania statesman, it is indeed a most interesting one.
A Quiet Boomtown, Jamison City , Pa. , 1889-1912, a book by Craig A. Newton and James R. Sperry, tells the story of Jamison City- the town made by the B&S and the town that made the B&S. The folding of its sawmill in 1912 and its tannery in 1925 rang the death bells for the B&S.
Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, by J. H. Beers, has some scattered information about the B&S. It is, however, scattered and mostly covered in the other works.
A copy of the personal letter book of F. M. Leader, the superintendent of the B&S during construction, was very useful. This is available in the Columbia County Historical Society.
The now defunct Bloomsburg newspaper, the Columbian, ran a day by day account of the B&S during construction and early operation.
Planning the B&S
The Bloomsburg newspaper Columbian and Pennsylvania senator Charles R. Buckalew of Bloomsburg were both instrumental in getting the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad from dream to reality.
For several years before 1883, the Columbian ran a series of articles and editorials aimed toward promoting a railroad from Bloomsburg, north to the rich forest land of Sullivan County. The articles told of the wealth of timber, "soft coal," "iron ore," and other products to be had there. At this time these products were Pennsylvanian’s wealth. There were an estimated 200,000 acres of spruce, hemlock, pine, oak and other hardwoods in the area that could be exploited by the proposed railroad. The railroad would have a monopoly on both freight and passenger services as there were no roads or railroads into the area. The Columbian told of the great advantages the people of Bloomsburg and other towns along the route would reap. It urged people along the proposed route to make any concessions necessary to help get the railroad built.
On August 22, 1883, a meeting was held in Benton for all interested parties concerning the proposed railroad. Speakers at the meeting were Charles R. Buckalew and John Jamison, Philadelphia financier and head of a syndicate whom Buckalew had interested in funding the proposed project. Evidently the meeting was a success and both local people and the syndicate came to terms, for definite plans for the B&S were soon to come.
Other members of the syndicate were Henry C. Gibson, Morton McMichael, E. W. Clark, Governor Hoty, Whorton Parker, and Governor Curtin. Local stockholders and investors included H. S. Conner, J. H. Kershaw, J. K. Grotes, D. Lowenberg, Honorable, T. Palmer, and I. W. McKelvey. The project was financed by the sum of $500,000.00.
Soon after this meeting, Colonel R. B. Rickets and John C. Brown, a former Bloomsburg postmaster, were hired to survey and plan the final route for the B&S.
A charter from the state was granted to the B&S on December 21, 1883. Officers at the time were C. R. Buckalew, Bloomsburg--president, Morton McMichael of Philadelphia--vice-president and chairman of the board, L. E. Waller of Bloomsburg--treasurer, and H. S. Conner of Bloomsburg--secretary. These men hired Colonel John Jameson as construction engineer and to purchase land for the right-of-way. They also hired Mr. F. M. Leader as superintendent in charge of building and operating the railroad. Their jobs overlapped and there was some friction between the two men.
Construction
The contractor for the construction of the B&S was John Bush (Giovanni Bucci). He learned the business from his father-in-law in Italy. He came to America and helped build the West Shore Railroad in New York. In 1883 he contracted to build the Beech Creek Railroad into Lock Haven, PA. On completion of this in 1887, he and his two brothers, Nicola and Saverio, moved to Bloomsburg and contracted to build the B&S.
Most of the labor on the B&S was performed by Italian immigrants hired by Jameson and Bush. There were never over a hundred of them and usually averaged between thirty-five and fifty men. They worked from dawn till dusk. They were usually peaceful and well accepted by local people. There were no reports of trouble with the immigrants, though there were some with local workers who were soon fired. The first Italians lived in four shanties built for them near the Lightstreet Paper Mill. At least four men had their families with them.
Jameson was extremely gruff and rude in his dealings with local people and was causing much ill feeling towards the railroad. He also bucked Leader at every step causing much confusion and slowing progress. The officers and the syndicate always backed Leader, who seemed to be the more capable of the two men. In 1888, after all land was purchased, Jameson was fired.
The first ground broken for the B&S was just north of Orangeville on Tuesday, August 3, 1886. Forty-four Italian immigrants and fourteen horses began grading the road bed.
On April 14, 1887, the first spike was put in the B&S, in Bloomsburg. By the end of May, blasting along the narrows of Fishing Creek, north of town, was breaking windows in the area.
On February 24, 1887, the Columbia County Republican reported that the ties for the B&S were distributed all along the route and that grading was progressing rapidly.
Beginning May 27, 1887, the Columbian started a regular column called “Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad Notes”. On May 31, enough rails had been laid that an engine could be used to carry supplies to the rail head. On June 3, it reported that all the grading to Benton had been completed and that about three-fourths of a mile of track was being laid each day. On June 17, the rails reached Lightstreet and the first freight, from H. W. White of Bloomsburg to A. B. White of Lightstreet, was delivered. On June 21, the track layers reached Orangeville and were greeted by church and school bells ringing and crowds of people cheering and waving. On July 4, an excursion train with seven hundred happy passengers left Bloomsburg to picnic and celebrate July 4th in Orangeville. On September 18, the first B&S locomotive was purchased along with two passenger cars and borrowed Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western equipment could be returned. Numerous excursion trains were being run as the B&S’s main source of income at that point.
On September 30, several new locomotives were delivered. The first passenger train left Benton with forty people aboard. On that date regular passenger service of two trains a day started between Bloomsburg and Benton. They were timed to connect with DS & WRR Trains in Bloomsburg.
By January of 1888 there were two mail trains a day and excursions on each holiday along the B&S. On April 3, work began on a telegraph line along the road bed from Bloomsburg to Central. Work on the B&S continued in the spring and on July 20, work between Benton and Central was reported to be progressing rapidly. Plans for the route from Central north were under way. In November of 1888, the B&S was completed to Jamison City and lumber from the interior was being shipped to the markets on the coast.
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An equipment mount at Jamison City |
Roadbed just below Camp Lavigne |
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The Hide House of the Tannery |
The former railroad station in Jamison City |
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Dam from the former electricity plant |
The Borough of Benton Railroad Station, relocated, now the home of Lee & Carolyn Remley |
Operation and Decline
The northern terminal of Jamison City was the key to the existence of the B&S. On the other hand, Jamison City could not have existed without the B&S. For several years before a buggy road was built, the B&S was the only way in or out of Jamison City for freight or passengers.
At its height, Jamison City contained several luxurious hotels, a large sawmill, a tannery, a wheel hub factory, five saloons, a church and a schoolhouse. Freight and passengers service from Jamison City to Bloomsburg and back took over as the chief source of income for the B&S. Raw hides were taken from Bloomsburg to the tannery and leather and lumber were shipped south to Bloomsburg. The Manor Rest Inn in Jamison City was owned by the B&S and many excursion trains took people to formal balls, parties, and holiday weekends at the inn. One fare covered everything.
In 1889, the telegraph to Jamison was completed and in 1892, a road was built to Benton. The B&S no longer had a monopoly on passenger service to the town.
The Bloomsburg and Sullivan had connections with the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad and the Reading Railroad in Bloomsburg. Near Lightstreet, the B&S connected with the Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick Railroad which was better known as the SB&B, or the Sweet By and By. An extension north of Jamison City to join the Lehigh Valley Railroad was planned but never constructed.
In 1912, the saw mill in Jamison City was abandoned. This was a major blow to the B&S and started her decline.
In 1915, it was reported that the B&S ran six passenger trains and several freight trains each day, although business had fallen off some due to the closing of the saw mill. The railroad employed about one hundred fifty people at this time. The present officers were; Samuel Wigfall- president, H. T. Deckert- vice president, W. C. Snyder- superintendent and treasurer, G. A. Ritter- secretary and auditor, and W. C. Fortune- supervisor.
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By 1924, traffic had so slowed that the tracks from Benton to Jamison City were torn up. In 1925, the tannery folded and death bells were ringing for the B&S. In 1927, the last B&S train left Benton and the B&S folded. The picture is of the former tannery stack, still standing. |
Soon after this the line was purchased by the Reading Railroad who ran occasional freight trains to Benton until the early 1960’s. Like so many branch lines, the former B&S just could not compete with the faster truck service on the good roads along its tracks.
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At the south end of the Borough, behind Wilson Lynn & Sons. The former track is making a long sweep to the left heading toward the former railroad bridge. |
Old Railroad Bed South of L&K Mills, Maple Grove |
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The floods caused by tropical storm Agnes, that caused so much damage to the area in 1972, destroyed much of the track that ran along Fishing Creek. The Line was abandoned and has since been torn up and sold for scrap.
Too bad it couldn’t have lasted a few more years. What a tourist railroad it would make today. Following is an image of both side of a B&S stock certificate that belonged to my great grand-father and some pictures of the B&S as it is today in 2007.
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Nathan McKenzieNathan is holding a stock certificate issued to his grandfather from the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad. Nathan was raised in Orangeville, attended Central Columbia County High School, graduated from Bloomsburg State University, and has his master's drgree plus 62 credits. He taught at Northwest High School for 35 years and is now retired. His hobbies are collecting flintlocks, muskets and civil war rifles and model railroading. |
A related article in the FEATURES section of the Benton News is entitled "The Reading Railroad." It can be found on the internet at www.bentonnews.net/Features/readingrailroad.htm .
