Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany County railway-history collections in Western New York, New York

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Western New York, New York · Updated October 19, 2026 · 10 min read

Rail preservation groupArchives and online collections, not a single museum building

In Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, railroad history is kept less in one museum than in county archives, historical society libraries and online collections that trace how lines like the New York and Erie shaped the region's towns.

  • Chautauqua County History Resource Hub
  • McClurg Museum lecture library
  • Chautauqua Lake Railway history
  • Erie Railroad town histories

Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany County railway-history collections at a glance

Hours
Varies by collection; check each holder before visiting
Admission
Varies by collection; online resources are open to browse
Best for
Researchers, genealogists and local history fans

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany County railway-history collections? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Western New York.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

How the railroads shaped New York's southwestern corner

Railroads built many of the towns in this part of New York. The village of Cattaraugus, for example, grew up in the late 1840s after the New York and Erie Railroad was routed through Rich Valley in a last-minute change of course, so the rail town arose without the planning other communities on the line received. In the town of Allegany, old maps show both the Erie and the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad passing through.

Stories like these are preserved across several collections. Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub gathers documents, maps, biographies, databases, recorded lectures and short documentaries on county history. The Chautauqua County Historical Society and McClurg Museum keeps digital collections and a lecture library, including a paper on the Chautauqua Lake Railway, which shut down on June 17, 1890 when a trust company took possession of its rolling stock; its three engines and twenty-seven cars were sold to a New York firm. The New York Railroad Archive website adds place histories, photos and Sanborn maps for rail towns in the region.

Where to look

Start with Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub online, then the McClurg Museum's library and digital collections. Each collection sets its own access rules, so contact the holder before visiting in person.

Don’t miss

  1. The History of the Chautauqua Lake RailwayA lecture paper in the McClurg Museum library that traces the line to its 1890 shutdown.
  2. Chautauqua County History Resource HubThe county's curated set of documents, maps, databases and recorded lectures on local history.

Better for older kids and school projects

These are research collections, not hands-on exhibits, so they suit older students working on local history projects more than toddlers. For train-loving young kids, pair a records visit with a trip to a nearby rail museum listed below.

Plan your visit: tips for Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany County railway-history collections

  • Begin with the Chautauqua County History Resource Hub online.
  • Look for the Chautauqua Lake Railway paper in the McClurg Museum lecture library.
  • Contact any collection before visiting in person, since access rules differ.

Historians and historical societies

County historians, the Chautauqua County Historical Society and McClurg Museum, and local museums across the region keep these records. Supporting a historical society through membership or donations helps keep railroad photographs, maps and papers available.

Rail museums to visit in person

The Lake Shore Railway Historical Society Museum in North East, Pennsylvania is about 17 miles away. The Salamanca Rail Museum is about 41 miles off, and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Museum in Orchard Park is about 52 miles. See our New York train museum list for more.

Every train museum in New York

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Digging through old county records can feel like riding through a long dark tunnel, and then a single photograph of a railroad town lights everything up. That is the moment in our book when Rally's train bursts out of the tunnel into a big bright light and everyone cheers. My mom loved family history, and I think she would have enjoyed a good afternoon in an archive like these.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany County railway-history collections?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Western New York railway history collections: 20 questions

What are the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany County railway history collections?

They are the archives, libraries and online resources that hold railroad history for New York's three southwestern counties. Key sources include Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub, the Chautauqua County Historical Society and McClurg Museum, and the New York Railroad Archive website's histories of rail towns in the region.

Is there a single railway museum for Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties?

No. This page covers scattered research collections rather than one museum building. For a rail museum you can walk through, the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society Museum is about 17 miles away and the Salamanca Rail Museum about 41 miles away, both listed on this site.

What is the Chautauqua County History Resource Hub?

It is a curated online collection from Chautauqua County that brings together documents, maps, biographies, databases and historical accounts from across the county. It also offers recorded lectures, interviews and short documentaries on county history, plus links to the Western New York Historian Project.

Where can I find Chautauqua County railroad history?

Start with the county's History Resource Hub at chautauquacountyny.gov, then the Chautauqua County Historical Society and McClurg Museum, which has digital collections and a lecture library. Its resource page also points to other local history groups, such as the Fenton History Center and Chautauqua Institution Archives.

What happened to the Chautauqua Lake Railway?

According to a lecture paper in the McClurg Museum library, the Chautauqua Lake Railway was shut down on June 17, 1890 when a trust company took possession of its rolling stock. Its original equipment, three engines and twenty-seven cars, was sold to the Reginald Vanning Company of New York.

Where can I read about the history of the Chautauqua Lake Railway?

The McClurg Museum, home of the Chautauqua County Historical Society, lists a paper titled The History of the Chautauqua Lake Railway in its lecture library. Check the museum's website for the document and contact the society with questions about related records.

How did the railroad shape the village of Cattaraugus?

The village of Cattaraugus was founded in the late 1840s when the New York and Erie Railroad was built through the area. A last-minute change of course sent the line through Rich Valley, and the new rail town grew without the planning given to other communities along the line, according to the New York Railroad Archive.

Which railroads ran through Allegany, New York?

Maps on the New York Railroad Archive website show both the Erie Railroad and the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad running through the town of Allegany. The site also features a 1901 Sanborn fire insurance map and a photo from the Steamtown National Historic Site archives.

What is the New York Railroad Archive?

The New York Railroad Archive, at nyrails.org, is a website with place histories, photographs and maps of railroad towns across the state, including Cattaraugus and Allegany in this region. It is a useful free starting point before contacting local historical societies.

Can I visit these railway history collections in person?

Some can be visited, but access varies. The McClurg Museum and other local history centers keep their own hours, while the county's History Resource Hub is mainly online. Contact the specific historical society or county historian's office before making a trip to see original materials.

Do the Western New York railway history collections cost anything?

Online resources such as Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub and the New York Railroad Archive website can be browsed online. Historical societies and museums set their own admission or research fees, so check with each one before you visit.

Can I research a railroad ancestor in Chautauqua County?

Yes, these collections are a good place to start. The county's History Resource Hub includes biographies and databases, and the McClurg Museum's resource list points to genealogy help such as the Fenton History Center's Genealogy Support Group. Contact them to ask about railroad employee records.

Are there old railroad maps for Western New York?

Yes. The New York Railroad Archive shows map details of the Erie and Western New York and Pennsylvania routes in Allegany, along with a 1901 Sanborn fire insurance map from the Library of Congress. Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub also includes historic maps.

Are there railroad history videos for Chautauqua County?

Chautauqua County's History Resource Hub offers recorded lectures, interviews and mini-documentaries on county history. Browse the video section of the hub to see whether a current lecture covers the railroads, and watch the McClurg Museum's lecture list for rail topics.

Who keeps Chautauqua County history records?

Records are held by several groups, including the Chautauqua County historian's office through the History Resource Hub and the Chautauqua County Historical Society at the McClurg Museum. The society notes that early county history work goes back to Dr. Elial T. Foote, who arrived in 1815.

Are these railway history collections good for kids?

They are research collections, so they suit older students doing school projects more than young children. Photos and maps can still spark interest. For hands-on train fun, pair research with a trip to a nearby rail museum such as the Salamanca Rail Museum.

Are there train rides near Chautauqua County?

These collections do not offer rides. For train rides in the wider region, the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad in Pennsylvania is about 44 miles away and the Arcade and Attica Railroad about 58 miles away, both listed on this site.

Can I donate railroad photos or papers to a Western New York collection?

The collections do not post a single donation process. If you have railroad photos, timetables or family papers from the region, contact the Chautauqua County Historical Society, your county historian or a local history center to ask whether they accept donations.

How can I support railway history preservation in Western New York?

Join or donate to a local historical society such as the Chautauqua County Historical Society and McClurg Museum, attend history lectures, and visit nearby rail museums. Membership and visits help keep photographs, maps and papers cared for and available to researchers.

What train museums are near Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties?

The Lake Shore Railway Historical Society Museum in North East, Pennsylvania is about 17 miles away, the Salamanca Rail Museum about 41 miles, and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Museum in Orchard Park about 52 miles. The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum is about 54 miles away.

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