Waterboro, New York facts for kids

Waterboro is a small community, called a hamlet, in Chautauqua County, New York. It sits high up, about 1,293 feet (394 meters) above sea level. You can find Waterboro in the northeast part of the Town of Poland. It used to be a busy spot for trains, but now its train station is closed.

The Mystery of Waterboro's Past

The story of Waterboro is quite a mystery! People say it was started in 1803 by two men, Mulky and Hasbrook. Before 1820, many locals believed it was a large village. They thought about 1,200 people lived there.

What Was Waterboro Like?

It's believed that Waterboro had around 400 buildings. Imagine a busy town with a sawmill and a gristmill. There were also two hotels for travelers and stagecoach stops. The village even had a doctor's office, a post office, and a school. And guess what? There was even a cheese factory!

Why Did Waterboro Disappear?

It's strange to think such a big village could just vanish. What happened? Many people believe two big events caused its decline.

The Great Fire of 1820

The summer of 1820 was very dry. A fire reportedly started at a sawmill. It quickly spread through the whole town. Almost all the houses, except for four, were destroyed.

The Diphtheria Epidemic

After the fire, as people tried to rebuild, a serious sickness hit. It was called diphtheria. This made people very scared. Many decided to move to the nearby town of Kennedy. Because of this, Waterboro was never fully rebuilt.

Clues from the Past

Even though much of the village is gone, you can still find some clues. People say there are remnants of a cemetery. You might also find parts of a gristmill and a cheese factory.

We know there was a Waterboro Post Office. It opened on July 15, 1827. It closed on July 25, 1845. This shows that a good-sized settlement was there at one point.

Most of this information comes from old stories. Some parts might have been made up over the years. As one landowner said in 1971, "You may weigh and judge for yourself as to what really happened at Waterboro."

Waterboro's Railroad Connection

Waterboro is also known for its railroad depot. This depot was supposed to connect two different train lines. These are the Western New York & Pennsylvania (WNY&P) and the New York & Lake Erie (NY&LE).

Challenges for the Railroads

However, the tracks and switches needed for the connection are not in good shape. They need to be replaced. The NY&LE hoped to fix this by 2019, but it hasn't happened yet. The WNY&P doesn't have plans to reconnect the lines. They do plan to fix old tracks in the Waterboro area. This might help with a future connection.

Local Support and Doubts

The city of Jamestown wants to see train service restored to Waterboro. They even asked for a study to see if it's possible. The state of New York is helping with this study. However, Cattaraugus County doesn't think the project will work. As of June 2018, no progress had been made to connect the two railroads.

See also

In Spanish: Waterboro (Nueva York) para niños