Please Note: This event has expired.
Mark your calendar for a week of programs on historic railroads.
Mark your calendar for a week of programs on historic railroads—the trains, the station buildings, technology, people, economic impact—brought to you by the History Consortium, a working group of regional historical societies including Cumberland, York, Franklin, Adams, and Carroll Counties.
Each evening at 7:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) throughout Historic Railroad Week you will be able to enjoy a different aspect of railroad history.
Presentations held online. Visit our Facebook page to participate. The York County History Center will host our presentation streamed to our Facebook page and in person at the Historical Society Museum on Tuesday, November 9 at 7 p.m.
Monday, November 8: Workers of the Rails
Speaker: Jim Leonard, Cumberland County Historical Society, Carlisle, PA
While most people think of the railroads as the physical objects – train cars and tracks – the workers behind the railroads were an integral, yet often overlooked, aspect of the industry. This presentation by Jim Leonard of Historical Society of East Pennsboro will focus on the workers in the rail industry in Cumberland County.
Tuesday, November 9: Rails to York
Speakers: Tina Charles and Samantha Dorm, York History Center, York, PA
How the railroad influenced the lives of York’s African American community – from William Wood, one of Lebanon’s residents and a noted machinist for Phineas Davis, who actually built the York steam engine, the first of its kind, to the many jobs the railroad created (laborers, Pullman Porters, etc.) and the many families that migrated from the south and settled in York as part of the Great Migrations.
Wednesday, November 10…Franklin County’s Iron Furnaces & the Railroad
Speaker: Mike Marotte, Franklin County Historical Society, Chambersburg, PA
During the heyday of the iron furnaces, the horse drawn wagons were the vital tool for transporting the finished product to a railroad depot for shipment. However, if you were fortunate enough to have a railroad depot close by, you were ahead of the game. In Franklin County, there were a few iron furnaces that were quite prosperous due to proximity of the rail line.
Thursday, November 11…The Restoration of American’s Train Stations
Speakers: Howard Burrell and Antigoni Ladd, Adams County Historical Society, Gettysburg, PA
With changes in rail service throughout the country, many train stations were abandoned. Others found new lives as storefront businesses, apartments, or museums. Some cities used their train stations to open shopping malls, restaurants, and theaters. View the success stories of the survivors, from the Lincoln Train Station in Gettysburg, PA to the majestic Union Station in Washington, DC and Union Depot in St. Paul, MN.
Friday, November 12…….The Western Maryland Railroad
Speaker: Jim Shriver, Carroll County Historical Society, Westminster, MD
It was on June 15, 1861, that the blast of a train whistle was first heard in Westminster as the Western Maryland Railroad arrived in town. This presentation explores the development and history of the line, its impact on Carroll County and the state of Maryland, and its place in the era of America’s railroad expansion.
ADMISSION INFO
LOCATION
250 East Market Street, York, PA 17401
PARKING INFO
Currently 250 East Market St is only open for programs.
You may park behind the museum on Mason Ave near the Church or park on the street out front of the museum.
