The South Side Railroad of Long Island, opened its first line from Jamaica to Babylon (via the current Locust Manor - Laurelton ROW) on October 28, 1867. CLICK HERE for an article from the Brooklyn Eagle of November 8, 1867 about the opening of the South Side. The line was extended to Islip in July, 1868 and to Patchogue in 1869. However, without a western terminus with access to the East River, prospects for the new line were pretty grim. For this reason, they started negotiating with the other existing railroads for a possible lease agreement but were knocked down in their attempts by the then president of the LIRR, Oliver Charlick.
This ad, from June
6, 1868, shows how the South Side relied on the other railroads and horsecars to
first get their patrons to Jamaica.
As a result, they settled on a line which went from Jamaica west to Fresh Pond and then southwest to Bushwick Terminal at Bushwick Ave. near Montrose Ave. This portion of the line was opened July 18, 1868 and necessitated the use of horsecars along Broadway to the river. By 1869, steam dummies (very small steam locomotives) replaced the horsecars to the ferry.
On July 29, 1869 the South Side opened its first branch, to Far Rockaway, which branched off from its main line at Valley Stream and proceeded southwest to its terminus at Beach 30th St. and the boardwalk mostly along the present Far Rockaway branch ROW.
In 1870, the South Side built a branch north from Valley Stream to Hempstead. This branch followed a ROW completely different from today's West Hempstead Branch as it followed Cornwall Ave. in Valley Stream and West Hempstead and had its terminus on the west side of Greenwich St., between Front and Peninsula Blvd. in Hempstead.
The South Side took over the former NY and Flushing's ROW from Haberman to Hunter's Point in 1872 and built a connection from Fresh Pond to Haberman, completing the present Long Island City branch from Jamaica.
In 1874, the South Side was bought out by Conrad Poppenhusen of the Flushing and North Side RR.
Stations of the South Side:
1. Main Line
South 8th St. -built 1868 at So. 8th St. and Kent Ave. Abandoned 1876
Bushwick - 1868 - Bushwick Ave. and Montrose Ave.
Hebbard's - 1870 - named for a farmhouse at Flushing Ave. and 52nd St.
Fresh Pond - 1869
Glendale - 1869
Richmond Hill -(Clarenceville prior to 11/1871) - 1868 - at Jamaica Ave. near Hillside Ave.
Van Wyke Ave. - 1869
Jamaica - 1867 - South of the LIRR Jamaica station. After the 1876 consolidation, the LIRR station was used and the South Side's abandoned
Locust Ave. - 1869 - at the site of the present Locust Manor station at Baisley Blvd.
Springfield - 1867 - at Springfield Blvd.
Foster's Meadow (Rosedale) - 1870 - at Hook Creek Blvd. just east of the present Rosedale station. Name changed to Rosedale in 1892
Valley Stream - 1869- at 3rd St. and Rockaway Ave.
Pearsall's (Lynbrook) - 1867 - between Hempstead and Forest Aves. 1870 name changed to Pearsallville; 1893 to Lynbrook
Rockville Centre - 1867 - at the east side of Village Ave.
Baldwins - 1867
Freeport - 1867
Merrick - 1867
Bellmore - 1869
Ridgewood (Wantagh) - 1867 - name changed to Wantagh in 1891
South Oyster Bay (Massapequa) - 1867 - name changed to Massapequa in 1889.
Amityville - 1868
Wellwood (Lindenhurst) - 1868 - named changed to Breslau in 1870; to Lindenhurst in 1891
Babylon - 1867 - (temporaily renamed Seaside in 1868)
Bayshore - 1868 - (originally called Penataquit for a couple of months in 1868)
Islip - 1868
Club House - 1870 - on the grounds of the Bayard Cutting Aboretum south of Montauk Highway.
Oakdale - 1868
Sayville - 1868
Bayport - 1868
Blue Point - 1870
Patchogue - 1869
2. Rockaway Branch
Cedar Grove - 1869 - in Hewlitt
Hewlitts - 1869
Woodsburgh (Woodmere) - 1869
Ocean Point (Cedarhurst) - 1869
Lawrence - 1869
Far Rockaway - 1869
Beach House (South Side Pavillion) - 1870 - name changed in 1872 - located near the water at Beach 30th St.
Eldert's Grove - 1872- Beach 84th St.
Holland's - 1872 - Beach 92nd St.
3. Hempstead Branch
Bridgeport - Franklin Ave. in Malverne
Norwood - Hempstead and Cornwell Aves.
Hempstead - west side of Greenwich St. between Front St. and Peninsula Blvd.
more to come...
