• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Adirondacks & NNY
  • Capital-Saratoga
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Hudson Valley & Catskills
  • NYC & Long Island
  • Western NY
  • History
  • Nature & Environment
  • Arts & Culture
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Food & Farms
  • Subscribe
  • Support
  • Submit
  • About
  • New Books
  • Events
  • Podcasts

The Railroad Wars of New York State

October 7, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York’s railroads were born of the cutthroat conflict of rate wars, bloody strikes and political graft. The railroad wars began as soon as the first line was chartered between Albany and Schenectady when supporters of the Erie Canal tried to block the new technology that would render their waterway obsolete.

After the first primitive railroads overcame that hurdle, they began battling with one another in a series of rate wars to gain market share. Attracted by the success of the rails, the most powerful and cunning capitalists in the country—Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Daniel Drew and other robber barons—joined the fray.

Timothy Starr’s account, Railroad Wars of New York State (History Press, 2012) steams through the nineteenth century with stories of rate pools, labor strikes, stock corners, legislative bribery and treasury plundering the likes of which the world had never seen.

Timothy Starr was born in Danbury, Connecticut, and grew up in Hebron, New York. His first book was written in high school, a novel called The Meatloaf Incident and Other Adventures that is based on his experiences in a rural community. After receiving degrees in history, accounting and business administration, he moved to Saratoga County.

Several prominent ruins around the town of Milton piqued his interest and led to the writing of his first nonfiction books, titled Lost Railroads of the Kaydeross Valley and Lost Industries of the Kaydeross Valley. When he discovered that several important innovations were developed locally, other projects unfolded relating to the inventions of Ballston Spa, Saratoga County and the Capital District. A lifelong interest in railroading led to three books that describe the history of railroads within the Capital Region of New York.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Crime and Justice, Industrial History, Jay Gould, Labor History, Political History, Transportation History

About Editorial Staff

Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to New York Almanack here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Support Our 2022 Fundraising

Subscribe to New York Almanack

Subscribe! Follow the New York Almanack each day via E-mail, RSS, Twitter or Facebook updates.

Recent Comments

  • Kurt McKeone on Ballston Lake’s Forest Park Amusement Park Tour
  • Deirdre Sinnott on Chester A. Arthur, The Spoils System & Civil Service Reform
  • Thomas Keating on Chester A. Arthur, The Spoils System & Civil Service Reform
  • Brian S Barrett on The Misnamed Columbia County ‘Battle of Egremont’
  • Bruce Venter on Bradstreet’s Raid: A 1758 Riverine Operation
  • Jim Harris on Winter In the Catskills: The Columbia Ski Resort
  • Jane Aiken on Saratoga Spa in 1935: A State Health Resort Opens
  • Sue on Poetry: Cabin Pantry Discovery
  • Ronald Gary Grove on The Misnamed Columbia County ‘Battle of Egremont’
  • Bob Meyer on Poetry: Cabin Pantry Discovery

Recent New York Books

Taking Sides in Revolutionary New Jersey
Scandalous Hamiltons
rebels at sea
John Bradstreet's, 1758: A Riverine Operation of the French and Indian War
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
vintage babes of broadway book
Mission Begin With Blood
Special Delivery book
killing time in the catskills
the soft city book

Secondary Sidebar

preservation league
Protect the Adirondacks Hiking Guide