Daily stories of Pennsylvania

by Frederic Antes Godcharles

One of the most interesting and irritating episodes that became interwoven with the administration of Governor James Pollock was what was then known as the Erie Riots.

Pollock was seriously handicapped at the outset of his administration by the only Know Nothing Legislature in the history of the State. Nothing constructive came out of this session, but a movement was begun which led to the sale of the Main Line of the public works. In this the Governor was a strong advocate, and two years later the Legislature passed the enabling acts by which the Pennsylvania Railroad Company became the purchaser.

The Erie and Northwestern Railroad Company had built a short line to connect with the New York Central at Buffalo, and with the Lake Shore Line at Erie, by which a continuous railway line was made to the West. The several railroads at that time did not have uniform gauge, and the road west of Erie was of a different gauge than those east of that city, which was the most important connecting point; and all passengers and traffic were required to be transferred at Erie.

The necessities of the growing commerce required that the causes of this detention in transfer should be removed, both on account of the delay and the cost of handling of the freight, and the annoyance to the passengers in changing cars, all of which was because there was a difference of one or two inches in the gauge of the rails of the two lines.

The railroads therefore changed the gauge. This action aroused the hostility of the people of the city of Erie, whose sympathies the railway company seemed to have generally alienated and the battle progressed little by little until the entire community became involved in one of the most[most] disgraceful local conflicts of the history of Pennsylvania.

On December 9, 1853, two railroad bridges and many crossings were destroyed by a mob of women, and a great parade of the rioters was held amid the shouts of their sympathizers and jeers of their opponents.

The people, however, were not all on one side. They were in fact, about equally divided.

The contending forces were popularly known as “Rippers” and “Shanghais.” The former term was applied to those who favored the break of the gauge, as they repeatedly ripped up the tracks of the road.

This contest continued for several years and so completely inflamed the entire community that the prominent citizens became divided on the issue and ceased all social intercourse. They even carried that feeling so far that they would not worship at the same church.