About the Maywood Historical Group of Sidney Center, Inc.

The Historical Group was organized in 1985 and incorporated as
Maywood Historical Group of Sidney Center, Inc., a New York
Non-Profit Corporation, in 1990. The goal of the group is to
update and preserve all historical matter relating to Sidney Center.

The station had been abandoned for many years and was renovated
with fund-raising proceeds, memorials, donations, of money and
materials, grants and many hours of volunteer labor.
In the Spring of 1992, the outside of the Depot was stained
and painted the original O&W colors with a donation by Dave
and Harriet Downin in Memory of his parents, Harry & Ruth Downin.

The Depot is now the headquarters of the Maywood Historical Group
of Sidney Center, Inc., which has a membership of 200+ memebers.
The Group meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm at the Depot.

Sidney Center was well known throughout the country for its two
New York Ontario & Western (O&W) Railroad trestles that formed
a giant horseshoe curve around the village. The original long
wood and steel trestle was 1400 ft. long and 100 ft. high. This
trestle was replaced in 1895 with an all-steel trestle 1220 ft.
long and 96 ft. high. The original short trestle was an all-wood
trestle 1200 ft. long and 80 ft. high. This trestle was replaced
in 1905 with a steel structure that was 800 ft. long and ft. high.

The railroad was completed through Sidney Center and the first
train crossed the trestles in November 1871. It faithfully served
the community with a few lapses from time to time when there were
financial problems and changes in ownership until March 29, 1957.
The original builder was the New York Oswego Midland Railroad that
went bankrupt and a new company, The New York Ontario & Western
Railway, was formed. The trains transported milk and farm products,
freight, coal, mail and passengers.

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