Assembly Resolution No. 43

BY: M. of A. Manktelow

COMMEMORATING the 100th Anniversary of the Trolley
Station in Lyons, New York, on December 28, 2022

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend the
efforts of those organizations which seek to bring recognition to
historical places within the State of New York, and in doing so, help to
ensure that the complete history of our State and Nation is preserved
and shared with present generations of citizens; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Trolley Station in Lyons, New
York, which was celebrated at an Open House on Wednesday, December 28,
2022; and

WHEREAS, The Trolley Station, located at 1 Montezuma Street, was
built as a combined passenger and freight station for the Rochester,
Syracuse & Eastern Railroad (RS&E), an electric trolley car service from
Rochester to Syracuse, in December of 1922; however, the RS&E had been
running through Lyons since 1905, when the trolley line first started
service; and

WHEREAS, Prior to the building of a dedicated trolley station in
Lyons, the RS&E used a rented storefront on Williams Street (possibly
No. 30) as its passenger station; the trolley line predominantly used
the old Erie Canal route from Rochester to Syracuse; and

WHEREAS, In Lyons, it snaked its way through the village, sharing
the road bed with wagons and horses; the trolley traveled along Water
Street, turning a sharp corner onto William Street, and then turning
again onto Canal Street before exiting Lyons to the east; the RS&E
entered the village of Lyons from the west via a metal bridge, which
exists today carrying a pipeline over the barge canal; and

WHEREAS, By 1909, the trolley line was completed to Syracuse, and
numerous branch lines were added over time; the RS&E (and its successor,
Empire United Railways), ceased operation in 1930, when the system was
declared bankrupt, largely due to the advent of the automobile; and

WHEREAS, The trolley drew its power from overhead cables, and the
system utilized direct current (dc) power which was converted to high
voltage alternating current power (ac) for efficiency in transmission to
distant places, and then was converted back to dc power; and

WHEREAS, The Lyons powerhouse provided power for the entire system,
and substations located every 10 miles or so were used to convert the ac
power back to dc for the trolley to use; old substations can still be
seen in Port Gibson and in Savannah, among others; and

WHEREAS, In the Fall of 1922, the RS&E straightened out the route
through Lyons by utilizing the old canal bed, routing new tracks
starting at Water Street, and then curving slightly to traverse the
current parking lot behind the Wayne County Social Services building,

crossing Montezuma Street, and then continuing across the current
parking lot behind Dobbins Drugs; and

WHEREAS, At that spot, the RS&E built a new type "A" combined
passenger and freight station, completed in December of 1922; the
freight portion of the station, encompassing the current diner counter
and kitchens, was 50 feet long, while the passenger waiting area and the
ticket counter were 18.5 feet long; the windows and the large front door
are mostly original; and

WHEREAS, In 1922, the old canal bed and canal basin had not been
filled in after the two disused versions of the Erie Canal and the
enlarged Canal were drained; in order to fill the canal bed to
accommodate the new double track, the RS&E used an accumulation of
cinders from its main powerhouse; 20,000 cubic yards of fill were needed
to complete the project, of which 12,000 cubic yards were cinders from
the Lyons powerhouse; and

WHEREAS, The Trolley House's raised freight floor was lowered to
provide more dining space, and the ceiling was dropped to provide for
modern utilities; the exterior of the building is original, including
the cement "trolley stop" where the trolley would park to dispense its
passengers and freight; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity
to express its highest admiration for the Lyons Main State Program, and
for all of the individuals who have worked to bring proper attention to
a place and time which merits recognition in the grand panorama of the
history of our State and Nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Lyons Trolley Station on
December 28, 2022; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Kim Howell, Director, Lyons Main Street Program.