This week’s question: Many of New York’s country schools are similar in appearance. The one seen here was built in 1850 and is typical of the 19th century one-room schoolhouses found in the Baldwinsville area. Do you know where this school was located or its common name? There is a tiny clue in the photo.
Last week’s answer: The photo from last week shows a bridge that was located to the east of the main bridge crossing the Seneca River. Its foundations still exist as the pillars in the river. The bridge was built for the Syracuse and Baldwinsville Railroad which went from Baldwinsville to Amboy.
In 1880 the area included five flour mills, Morris Machine Works, a sash and blind factory, a paper mill, a knitting mill and 11 tobacco warehouses. We were not on the Erie Canal so the mills only had access to it via the Baldwin Canal and its extension, the Baldwinsville Canal, which connected with the Erie at the Oswego Canal at the Onondaga Lake outlet. The other option was the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad that was located where the railroad is now. This was inconvenient for bulk delivery and shipping.
Village businessmen tried as early as 1874 to get the DL&W to run a spur but there was no interest. On June 10, 1886, an announcement was made of the formation of the Syracuse and Baldwinsville Railroad Company. The terminus was located on a vacant north side village lot between the Frazee and Amos flour mills, between the river and the Baldwin Canal (the parking lot across from Virginia Street). The railroad opened Jan. 1, 1887. Unfortunately, the venture was not profitable and the S&B ceased existence in 1891. Shortly after, the DL&W purchased it.
The photo shows the bridge facing north. In the background is East Genesee Street (Canal Street). From right to left are Morris Machine Works, several tobacco warehouses, the Riverside Hotel and several livery stables and other businesses.
In 1908 a major event was taking place — the building of the Barge Canal. Because of the drop in the river a dam bypass and lock would be required and the canal plans called for the route to be on the south side and to cut the railroad right of way and take half of Water Street including the spur to the south side mills. Although the owners of the railroad tried to stop the demolition, the contractors of the canal won out and the bridge was demolished June 17, 1908. Today the only evidence that is left are the abutments.
Email your guess to [email protected] or leave a message with your guess at 315-434-8889 ext. 310 by noon Friday. If you are the first person to correctly identify an element in the photo before the deadline, your name and guess will appear in next week’s newspaper, along with another History Mystery feature. History Mystery is a joint project of the Museum at the Shacksboro Schoolhouse and the Baldwinsville Public Library.
