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The Erie Guage War (sometimes called the Erie Railroad War, Erie War of the Gauges or the 1853 Railroad Gauge War) was a conflict between the citizens of Erie, Pennsylvania and two railroad companies over the standardization of the rail gauge between Erie and the New York border. It started on December 7, 1853 and ended on February 1, 1854.

Contents

[edit] Background

In 1849, the Erie and North East Railroad started laying track east from Erie to the New York–Pennsylvania border at a gauge of 6 ft (1,829 mm).[1] At the same time, the Franklin Canal Company was laying track west from Erie to the Ohio–Pennsylvania border and the Buffalo and State Line Railroad was laying track from Buffalo to the New York border, both were at a gauge of 4 ft 10 in (1,473 mm) (Ohio gauge).[1] On November 23, 1852, the first train left Erie heading to Ashtabula, Ohio and on January 19, 1852, the first train from New York state arrived in Erie.[1][2] A passenger traveling from Buffalo to Cleveland would be forced to change trains at the Pennsylvania border because of the different gauges.[3] Twenty miles (32 km) down the road in Erie,the passenger would again have to change trains. The process of having to constantly change trains would result in lenghty delays, often causing passengers to miss connecting trains and be forced to stay in Erie.

The citizens of Erie enjoyed being a "enforced stopping place"[1] as they made big profits from the transferring of frieght from one train to another and from passenger's having to buy food at Erie's restaurants or street vendors (the conflict has been referred to as the "Peanut War"[4] as Erie's peanut sellers would be the hardest hit by the lack of passengers). The owners of the Buffalo and State Line Railroad were able to acquire two-thirds of the Erie and North East's stock[1] and on November 16, 1853, made the decision to relay the 6 ft (1,829 mm) track between Erie and the New York border as Ohio gauge[3] but, four months early, to try and prevent the change, Erie's city council had enacted ordinances barring the railroads froming using the city's streets.[2] On November 26, 1853, the council was reconvened when railroad ties were found being layed in the preparation for the gauge change. The council passed an ordinance to allowing the mayor to call out the city police to take down the any of railroad bridges that crossed the city's streets "in order to preserve the present railroad guage".[2]

[edit] Conflict

On December 7, 1853, after swearing in 150 "special police contables"[2], Mayor Alfred King lead the police to the railroad bridge crossing State and French Streets and, where engineers had marked the edges of the street on the bridge, had sections of bridge cut out.[2] That evening, 7 miles (11 km) away in town of Harborcreek, its citizens decided to pass its own ordinances and then preceded to tear up tracks along the highway.[3] Three days later, tracks of the new gauge were completed up to the city limits and that night the people of Harbor Creek tore out the tracks again, knocked down a bridge, and even plowed up a level crossing.[3] An injunction was obtained by the railroad from the United States Circuit Court in Pittsburgh and a United States Marshal was dispatched to Harborcreek. Upon arriving in Harborcreek, the marshal served it to one of the leaders of Harborcreek (Archibald Kirkpatrick) and pointed out the seal of the United States.[4] Kirkpatrick promptly threw it on the ground and stomped it with his heel and declaring that it now bore "the seal of Harborcreek" (the heelmark).[4]

[edit] Reactions

Pennsylvania Governor William Bigler sypmathized with Erie saying:

Pennsylvania holds the key to this important link of connexion [sic] between the East and the West, and I most unhesitatingly say, that where no principle of amity or commerce is to be violated, it is the right and the duty of the State to turn her natural advantages to the promotion of the views and welfare of her own people.[4]

“ Let Erie be avoided by all travelers until grass shall grow in her streets. ”

—Horace Greeley, New York Tribune

Although the governor and state of Pennsylvania agreed with Erie's objectives, people in other states criticized Pennsylvania for its "selfishness". The United States Representative from Ohio, Edward Wade, suggested that Pennsylvania be nickname be changed to the "Shylock State" because it "demanded a 'pound of flesh' from all who passed its borders".[4] On December 26, 1853, Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, had to travel through Erie on his way to Chicago and had to travel from Harborcreek to Erie in an open sleigh "through a cutting storm of wind, snow, and sleet". Greeley had hoped to be able to give a lecture in Adrian, Michigan that same day "but that could not now be, for the Kingdom of Erie forbade it".[4]


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wellejus, Edward (1980). Erie: Chronicle of a Great Lakes City. Woodland Hills, CA: Windsor Publications. ISBN 0897810074. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Reed, John Elmer (1925). History of Erie County. Topeka, KS: Historical Publishing Company. OCLC 2566729. 
  3. ^ a b c d Rhodes, James Ford (1895). History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850. New York: Macmillan Company. ISBN 0804603790. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f Kent, Donald H. (October 1948). "The Erie War of the Gauges" (PDF). Pennsylvania History 15 (4). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 
Conflicts in 1853 • Erie, Pennsylvania • Rail transport in the United States