Auburn & Syracuse RR

Introduction

The 26-mile Auburn & Syracuse was chartered May 1, 1834 and opened the entire way on on June 4, 1839 with a steam locomotive, the Syracuse.   A month later, with the opening of the Syracuse and Utica, these two lines formed a complete line from Albany west via Syracuse to Auburn, about halfway to Geneva.   The Auburn & Rochester was chartered May 13, 1836 as a further extension via Geneva and Canandaigua to Rochester, opening on November 4, 1841.   The two lines merged on August 1, 1850 to form the rather indirect Rochester & Syracuse (known later as the Auburn Road).   To fix this, the Rochester & Syracuse Direct Railroad was chartered and merged into the Rochester & Syracuse on August 6, 1850.   That line opened June 1, 1853, running much more directly between those two cities, roughly parallel to the Erie Canal.