Existing comment:
High Line
1840-today
1840s:
An Industrial Waterfront:
The West Side of Manhattan is the country's busiest industrial waterfront. In 1847, the City of New York and authorizes street-level railroad tracks. Trains from Hudson River Railroad, which later becomes New York Central Railroad, serve the industrial buildings along the West Side.
1851:
Death Avenue:
Street-level railroad traffic causes so many accidents that the West Side's freight corridor becomes known as "Death Avenue." New York Central Railroad hires men on horseback, called the West Side Cowboys, to ride in front of trains, waving pedestrians out of the way.
1929:
Building the High Line:
After decades of debate, the City and State of New York and the New York Central Railroad begin the West Side improvement Project, a massive infrastructure project to eliminate street-level rail corridors. The project transforms the West Side, eliminates 105 street-level railroad crossings, and includes an elevated section of track known as the High Line.
1934:
Lifeline of New York:
The High Line opens as an active freight rail line, running from West 34rh Street to St. John's Park Terminal. Elevated 30 feet above the street, the High Line is designed to connect directly to the upper floor loading docks of factories and warehouses, delivering milk, meat, produce, and other goods. It was known as the "Life Line of New York."
1960s:
Decline:
Industrial use begins to decline on Manhattan's West Side. The advance of the interstate highway system and the growth of the trucking industry lead to a reduction of rail traffic on the High Line and other railroads across the United States. In the 1960s, the southernmost nine blocks of the High Line, from Clarkson Street to the Bank Street, are demolished. Another five block section from Bank Street to Gansevoort Street is demolished in the 1990s. |