In the mid-19th century, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad reached Oneonta, stimulating development as a railroad center and attracting new industries. Oneonta was once home to the largest locomotive roundhouse in the world. Dr. Eugene Milener was the Oneonta City Historian and author of "Oneonta: The Development of a Railroad Town." Published in 1983, the book covers the period of time from the arrival of the first settlers in the 1770s to about 1930, just before the city's railroad period began its decline.
Scope of Collection
Materials from the Milener collection include street maps from 1785 through 1910, many photographs of local railroads, trolleys, city scenes, and correspondence regarding the choice of Oneonta as a site for the Delaware and Hudson Railway Company's Engine House and shops.