GUILFORD – The Guilford Historical Society hosts its annual winter social from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Guilford Methodist Church. 

The doors will open up to the public around 11 for the winter social which the historical society has hosted for the past 12 years on the weekend before or after Valentine’s Day. As per tradition, a guest speaker will give a presentation after the social’s afternoon meal. This year, it’s railroad historian and author John Taibi. Taibi’s presentation will focus on the history of railroad lines which ran through Chenango County such as the O&W, D&W, and DL&W lines. Taibi has become known for his ability to skillfully entertain his audiences with historical stories and his presentation promises to be peppered with humorous anecdotes.

Saturday won’t be Taibi’s first time entertaining a Guilford audience. The event usually attracts more than a hundred people, said Guilford Town Historian Tom Gray. “Taibi does a great job and he always draws a big crowd,” he said. Taibi’s presentations have successfully intrigued and entertained audiences over the years to the point where he has been invited back to Guilford on four separate occasions. “A lot of people enjoy hearing about the history of our railroads because they see all the old lines around and they are curious about them,” Gray added.