WELLS STATION

Inscription

WELLS STATION
EST. 1876 ON ELMIRA & STATE
LINE RR, LATER TIOGA DIVISION
OF ERIE RR LINKING ELMIRA, NY
AND BLOSSBURG, PA. REBUILT
AFTER 1890 FIRE. CLOSED 1942.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

Established in 1876, Wells Station served the Elmira & State Line Railroad, a small railroad line running from Elmira, NY to Tioga Junction, Pennsylvania on the New York-Pennsylvania border. It then made a connection with the Tioga Railroad to provide a direct line to Blossburg, Pennsylvania, approximately 40 miles south of Elmira. The line was used to transport coal, along with providing passenger service to the surrounding area.

By 1882, the Elmira & State Line Railroad was in operation as part of the Tioga Division of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad, which became the Erie Railroad in the early 1890s. In March 1890, Wells Station burned down. The March 20, 1890 edition of the Corning Journal reported that it was “suspected that burglars caused the fire.” The station was rebuilt in the fall of that year.

In August 1942, the Erie abandoned a section of its Tioga Division from Elmira to Tioga Junction and Wells Station was closed as a result. Shortly after this, rails, bridges, and trestles were removed along the former line, and the metal was sold for scrap. Wells Station eventually saw new life as a tavern, and as of 2025 is still in operation as the Country Tavern.