|
VOLUME 5:
LONG ISLAND RAILRALD SERVICE TO EXTRIN AT 32-14 NORTHERN BOULEVARD
By Nicholas Kalis
Fifth in a series of glimpses into industries or warehouses that made
for interesting freight operations on the Long Island. Information presented
has included, where available, a brief history of the firm, how it was
served by the LIRR, and what commodities were received or shipped from
this facility.
|
View from Northern Boulevard Credit: Library of
Congress. Seek permission from Mrs. Doris G. Scheisner, 67 Bedele
Street, Lindenhurst, NY 11757
|
In 1856, Edward Robinson Squibb founded a pharmaceutical company in Brooklyn.
This firm came to be known as E. R. Squibb. By 1989 Bristol Myers merged
with Squibb. Later known as Extrin, this building, located in Long Island
City, was known as Spot 19b according to page 2 of Maps of Freight Stations
and Private Sidings published in June 1966. This 1966 publication puts
Extrin facing Yard A. According to Robert Emery's drawing dated 1959,
this eight-story building was earlier known as E. R. Squibb Drug Factory.
According to the Hyde Atlas, Queens Vol. 1, updated through 1955, this
building was bounded by Honeywell Street to the west. According to photograph
Digital ID gsc 5a14903 contained in the Library of Congress' American
Memory web pages, Squibb fronted Northern Boulevard. This photo shows
arches over the first floor windows. After reviewing this photograph,
Bill Myers writes in 2001 "entire building facing Northern Boulevard
is still red brick, back of row is part red and rest looks stucco-overed".
This was, in part, a white concrete building attached to the Center
Building. According to Emery, it shared a wall with Roto-Broil Warehouse.
If Hyde is correct, Extrin may have been occupied by Ford Motor Co.
I was unable to learn what commodities were shipped into this facility
by rail but can only guess that they were carried in box cars. Nor could
I learn where these commodities originated. Extrin likely produced pharmaceuticals
of some kind or kinds but only empties may have left this facility by
rail.
|
Logo of successor firm
|
|
Squibb Loading Dock
|
|
Cafeteria Credit:
|
Squibb Clinic Credit:
|
|
Squibb Cafeteria Credit:
|
|
Spot 19b appears in right foreground as Extrin
Building Credit: The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, LaGuardia Community
College/ The City University of new York
|
MODELING
For readers who would like to model this structure in HO scale, I would
suggest Fox Chemicals ($60.00) by Jeff Springer's Custom Model Railroads
of Baltimore, Maryland. I have built a foam core mock-up of this building.
CREDITS
Thanks to Carl Fabrizi and Bill Myers
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Author Unknown Maps of Freight Stations and Private Sidings (Reprint)
June 1966
www.queenstribune.com
Please send photographs that show how Extrin appeared
in the 1960s and direct any comments on or corrections to this manuscript
to:
Nicholas Kalis
Suite 600, 1420 Spring Hill Road
McLean, Virginia 22102
Any illustrations or maps contributed will be gratefully acknowledged.
|
Logo, Long Island Railroad
|
Mapdated 1966. Extrin is marked as Spot 19B
|
