Locals and dignitaries gathered to celebrate last week
Pictured is Hornell Mayor John Buckley with Stan Hall, President of Hornell Erie Depot Museum
From Staff Reports,
HEDM is a small museum located at 111 Loder Street in Hornell, in the building which formerly served at the Erie Railroad Depot. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history and mementos of the men and women of the Hornell area and of the Hornell area railroad industry; and to educate the public on the history of the people and the industry which formed the backbone of the Hornell community. HEDM strives to preserve the local railroad history and to educate the community.
The museum was established in 2005 and celebrated the 20th anniversary with an Open House at the museum from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 6. The Erie Lackawanna Railroad Historical Society, a national organization headquartered in Avoca NY was on hand for this celebration.
Here is a little peak inside the museum, Thursday and Friday 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM and on Saturday 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM
The museum is open to the public free of charge every Friday from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 12:30 pm until 3:00 pm. During summer months (from Memorial Day weekend until the end of October) the museum is also open on Thursday evenings from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The museum is run by volunteers who care about keeping Hornell’s and the railroad’s history alive.
Many items in the museum were donated by the families of local railroad workers, with others being original pieces from the old Erie Railroad offices which once were situated in this location. Every June the museum hosts second graders from local schools during Erie Education Days. The museum also provides small tours for local nursing homes, historical societies, etc.
Mayor Buckley presented the museum with a Proclamation commemorating the 20th anniversary at the Open House. Over 125 people attended. Many were from Hornell but others were from Elmira, East Aurora, Wellsville, etc., with some out of state visitors too.
