Medina Railroad Museum offering history talks, and children’s story time

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Cassandra Harden of Medina reads a train story to young children in a new event every Saturday at Medina Railroad Museum.

MEDINA – Medina Railroad Museum is starting off the summer with a new event coordinator and a series of new events.

Renee Hemby, who joined the Museum earlier this spring, has developed several ideas to bring more people to the world-class train museum.

First is Reading at the Rails, an opportunity for young children up to the age of 8 to come and learn about trains from picture story books, read by Cassandra Harden of Medina. Any age, however, is welcome to come, Hemby said. Sessions start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and are free. Youth who attend three sessions will receive a souvenir badge. Anyone who joins the museum will also receive a souvenir badge.

The next feature, a historic speaker series, was suggested by museum volunteer and history buff Erica Wanecski. She will be the first speaker on July 9, talking about steel plants and how they related to the railroad.

On July 16, Medina native and news writer Ginny Kropf will share the history of the railroad museum and its founding by the late Martin Phelps.

On Aug. 6, the Cobblestone Society will discuss “Written in Stone.”

Speaker for Aug. 20 will be Craig Lacy, former owner of a sandstone building on North Main, which houses a jail in the basement, where the late Grover Cleveland was held when arrested during a visit to Medina. Lacy, who is also past president of the Medina Historical Society,  will also discuss other facts of historic interest in Medina.

On Sept. 3 the discussion will focus on Bill Lattin’s book, “Architecture Destroyed.”

On Sept. 17, Ryan Duffy from the Holland Land Office in Batavia will talk about the life of Dean Richmond.

Sessions will start at 6 p.m. each week and light refreshments will be provided. There is no charge, but donations to the museum are always appreciated.

“We are trying to bring more people to the museum,” Hemby said.

She remembers going to the late Beverly Mitchell’s house in Albion and listening to all her stories about the past.

“Hearing about history is cool,” Hemby said.