Historic railroad marker unveiled at Chester’s Erie Station

By Ginny Privitar

CHESTER — The Chester Historical Society hosted a happy event on Sunday, trailside at its restored 1915 Erie Railroad Station Museum. The rain held off as one of four new historic railroad markers on the Heritage Trail was unveiled to the public by Warwick Boy Scout Alan Held, as part of his Eagle Scout Project.

Alan is a history buff who is a member of both the Chester and Warwick Historical Societies. He is a knowledgeable railroad enthusiast, who thought of the many young people who use the trail, never realizing that this was once a railway that was vital to local history. To honor the railroads and educate the public, Held did extensive research and designed the waterproof markers, displaying photos of trains gone by, local history and railroad routes. With the aid of many supporters, he raised the money to have the markers made and, with the help of family and other Scouts, installed them at four locations on the trail: in Goshen, near South St.; Chester, near the Erie Station; Greycourt, behind Sanford Ave. (about a mile east of Chester and once a major railroad hub) and in Monroe, just off Millpond Parkway near Airplane Park.

The photos that Alan used to illustrate the markers were taken by the late John Stellwagen and donated to Douglas Barberio, a trustee of the O&W Railroad Historical Society, by his widow, Ruth Stellwagen of Goshen.

Several invited dignitaries spoke of the historic significance of the railroads and of Held’s achievement, including County Executive Ed Diana’s representative — Orange County Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Richard Rose, Alan’s Scoutmaster Scot Brown and Ontario and Western Railway Historical Society Trustee Jeff Otto. Local officials attended, including Village of Chester Mayor Phil Valastro, Town of Chester Supervisor Steve Neuhaus, and Village of Goshen Mayor Kyle Roddey. Railroad enthusiasts and members of other historical societies, including Warwick’s Dr. Richard Hull, were also present. The sun even made a brief appearance during the actual unveiling of this final marker. The other three were already accessible to the public.

Afterwards, guests went into the station for coffee, apple cider and lots of baked delights, including a tasty depiction of a train, baked by Norma Stoddard, president of the Chester Historical Society. A film about railroad history was shown and narrated by railroad historian Richard Taylor. Attendees left pleased with the attention to local history and with Held’s commemoration of it in the historic markers he created.

The Erie Railroad Station Museum is located at 19 Winkler Place, in downtown Chester, N.Y. Hours are May through October, on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by to see their new marker and to view their Civil War Exhibit before it closes at the end of the month.

Editor’s note: The original article has been changed to include the contribution of the late John Stellwagen.