Hornell’s Rich Railroad History Is On Display at the Erie Depot Museum

To some, Hornell will always be a railroad town, and it’s no wonder, given its rich railroad history dating back to the 1800s.

In 1850, the New York and Erie Railroad arrived.

A year later, the first passenger train came to town with two celebrated passengers on board, President of the United States Millard Fillmore and Secretary of State Daniel Webster. The emergence of the railroad signified major change, bringing prosperity to the small community that had previously depended upon lumber, fur and agriculture as its main businesses.

Eventually Hornell became the primary maintenance facility for the entire Erie line. In addition to the many everyday people who now passed through town, it wasn’t uncommon to see the rich and famous (excerpt of article in Life in the Finger Lakes Magazine).

According to a wonderful timeline article by local historian Collette Cornish chronicling Hornell’s history, “the population of Hornellsville before the Erie Railroad came was about 700, but by 1852 the population had increase to 1,841. By 1877, the Erie Railroad employed 800 people. Erie shop employees worked twelve-hour days for wages as low as ten cents an hour.”

“In 1948, the Erie Railroad switched from steam to diesel locomotives. The diesel engines required much less maintenance, meaning that hundreds of men working in the Hornell repair shops were eventually laid off. These layoffs marked the beginning of the railroad’s demise.”

In 1960, the Erie Railroad “merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad becoming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad and nine years later the railroad’s passenger service closed. Three years after that, Hurricane Agnes ravaged the region with terrible flooding and the extensive damage to the railways led to the bankruptcy of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.”

Since 2005, the Hornell Erie Depot Museum has “worked to preserve the history of the railroad industry—the backbone of the Hornell community for so long—and the men and women upon which the industry was built.

A small museum comprised of over 700 artifacts (including railroad lamps, replica trains, old school memorabilia and photos) are on display, the charming museum located in the former Erie Railroad Depot is a must-see for true railroad enthusiasts or history lovers.

In addition to preserving the past, the museum’s mission is “to educate the public on the history of the people and of the industry which formed the backbone of the Hornell community.”

While Hornell has changed some over the years since the flood, there are still important ties to the railroad thanks in part to Alstom which has multiple facilities in Hornell and their work refurbishing rail cars for multiple metropolitan areas, as well as work building new cars to replace “aging railcars in Chicago” thanks to a nearly 2 billion dollar contract awarded the company in 2021 which means Hornell’s connection to the rails is still going strong.

There is an assortment of things to see and do in the Hornell area, from shopping downtown to fishing and kayaking in the Canisteo River.

And being located in the Finger Lakes Rustic and Wild footprint means there’s array of wonderful outdoor adventures (waterfalls, camping, kayaking) and agritourism experiences (strawberry picking), as well as nearby delicious winery, farm cider and craft brewery offerings that make the Maple City a great hub for further exploration of Steuben County and beyond.

Am easy forty-five minute drive will lead you to some of the best wineries in NY located in Hammondsport and the world’s largest museum of glass at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning.