NORWICH – The Chenango County Historical Society will host author and lecturer John Taibi at 7 p.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church, 10 West Park Place, for a presentation of “Fagan, Batie, Collins and King – A Family that Spanned a Railroad’s Life.”
Well known for his historical knowledge of railroading, according to Chenango County Historical Society Director Alan Estus, Taibi has written several books and a number of short stories on the New York, Ontario & Western Railway, whose Northern Division headquarters were once located in Norwich.
“John’s book on the Northern Division is the first of the publications offered by the Historical Society that I bought after becoming director here, and he was instrumental in the creation of the Lyon Brook Bridge sidewalk display in front of the museum,” said Estus. “I might never have known where the 1894 date stone from the bridge, that had been stored behind the museum, came from if it weren’t for John’s book.”
According to Taibi, the O&W Railway was responsible for much of the city’s prosperity – in the form of employment – between 1868 and 1957, including both men and women who worked as engineers, firemen, conductors, trainmen, shopmen and roundhouse and office workers.
“Many of these O&W railroaders became active within the Norwich community as mayors, post masters, school board members and merchants, in addition to their jobs on the railroad,” said Taibi. “It was not unusual during the heyday years of the railroad’s service and presence in Norwich that more than one family member worked for the O&W.”
Taibi said it was unusual, however, for a father and son from one family to span nearly the entire 88-year life span of the O&W. The Fagan family – particularly father John and son John Edward – was one such, he added, and through marriage, the Fagan, Batie, Collins and King families contributed in many ways to the family’s relationships with and employment at the O&W.
Drawing from an immense archive of printed, photographic and hardware material made available to him by Bob and Terry Collins, Taibi said he’d recently completed chronicling the history of the family.
“This program is a product of that research and we hope that many of the surviving O&W families will attend this presentation, since it is as much about their families as it is about the Fagan, Batie, Collins and King families,” stated Taibi, who currently lives and writes in an old O&W station in Munnsville he’s recently restored. “Railroading has played an important role in the development and life of Norwich and this presentation will help to perpetuate that memory.”
According to Estus, Taibi’s style is to present the history of the O&W through its contributions to the towns and families it touched along its route.
Taibi said railroading has been an interest for him since he was a child, and he’s traveled extensively over the years, documenting the O&W railroad photographically. Since retiring, he’s been lecturing throughout central New York on railroading and the O&W Railway.
Thursday night’s presentation is open to the public and there is no cost of admission. For more information contact the Chenango County Historical Society at 334-9227.