Footnotes to Long Island History
Old Timetable and Adds
by
Thomas R. Bayles
An old timetable of the Long Island Rail Road Co. for June 1844, when the main line of the railroad went only as far east as Carman's River, or about where Yaphank station is now, shows a train leaving Brooklyn at 9:30 a.m. for Carman's River, stopping at Medford Station (Patchogue). It was a month later in July that the railroad was opened all the way through to Greenport. This timetable shows the train returning from Carman's River at 1 p.m. It also stated that stages would meet the train at Medford Station for Patchogue, and at Carman's River for Greenport and villages in between on the north side, and Sag Harbor and Montauk and intermediate places on the south side. There was only one train operated in each direction and the fare to Medford Station was $1.50 from Brooklyn.
A timetable of the Hartford & Long Island Steamboat Company for May 1, 1861, shows the steamer, Mary Benton, with Captain G. W. Bales, leaving Sag Harbor Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 a.m. for Hartford, stopping at Greenport at 7:50 a.m., New London at 10:15 a.m., Lyme at 12:45 p.m., and stopping at "the various landings on the Connecticut River, landing at Hartford 6 p.m."
The railroad timetable for 1866 reads as follows: "Trains from New York leaving James Slip at 8 a.m. and Hunter's Point at 8:30 a.m. Greenport Mail and passenger train, stopping at all stations and connecting at Mineola with the Branch Roads for Roslyn, Glen Head and Hempstead. The several stage lines connect with this train, and at Greenport the steamer, Water Lily, meets this train, for Sag Harbor and the Hamptons."
The November 4, 1878 timetable shows trains leaving Patchogue to Babylon at 6:30 a.m. and to Long Island City, (Hunter's Point) at 7:25 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. No arrival time of any trains was shown, so no complaint could be made of a train being late. Patchogue was the eastern terminal at this time, and it was not until 1881 that the road was extended east from Patchogue.
The Advance for 1883 carries an ad of the Patchogue and Port Jefferson Stage Line which reads as follows, "On and after October 19, 1883, the Patchogue and Port Jefferson Stage will run on Tuesdays and Fridays as follows: Leave Patchogue at 8:48 a.m., arriving at Medford at 8:57 a.m. and Port Jefferson at 11:30 a.m. (The time shown at Medford is evidently a misprint). Parties wishing to reach Medford or cross the Island either way on other days, can be accommodated by notifying the proprietor at Patchogue. A. D. Terry, Prop."
In 1882 an advertisement of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co., showed the steamer, Favorite, with H. G. Davis, master, leaving Port Jefferson daily at 8 a.m. and returning from Bridgeport at 3 p.m. Round trip fares on Friday, 50 cents.
In 1882 the Advance ran an ad for Thomas S. Heatley of real estate for sale as follows; "A neat dwelling with five acres of land, partly under cultivation, fruit trees and necessary outbuildings, within one mile of Holbrook and three of Sayville, price $500."
"Three hundred acres of good land in Middle Island with timber on it. Price in lots of 100 acres or more $3 per acre."
"Fifteen acres of land partly cultivated, with old house, good well and fruit trees, near Bellport station, price $350."