HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WENY) -- As a way to get older people in the area out and about, the Chemung County Department of Aging and Long-Term Care is collaborating with local historical societies for a series of social events. The first, 'Adventures in Railroading', was held on Saturday afternoon.

The Horseheads Historical Society Museum at the Depot opened its doors to the public for a presentation on railway history in Chemung County and beyond.

"So the Chemung County [Valley] Railway Historical Society, the Department of Aging and Long-Term Care and the Horseheads Historical Society decided to partner and kind of just do a presentation for the community to kind of learn a little bit," said Beth Stranges, the director of the Chemung County Department of Aging and Long Term Care. "It's an opportunity for socialization, it's an opportunity for people just to get out. You know, it's the middle of winter here and it's been freezing cold and this is just a fun way to get out, have a snack, enjoy some camaraderie and learn something."

People gathered to watch a slideshow of photos collected by a local railway historian dating back decades. Along with each image, Rob Piecuch, the president and co-founder of the Chemung Valley Railway Historical Society, discussed the stories behind his and his family's interaction with each train and station.

"The idea is that everyone had, at one point in time in this area and everywhere, trying to find a family that didn't have one member that worked for the railroad industry in the mid-20th century and even before that and after that was virtually impossible because somebody a father, an uncle, a grandfather, somebody worked for the railroad industry at that point in time," said Piecuch. "So it was very important and I think people don't realize the extent of that now. I think that history of it has been kind of largely forgotten."

'Adventures in Railroading' is just the first event in a series that the local organizations plan to host throughout the year. Stranges says that the goal is to provide people with an opportunity to get out and do something different. In this instance, learning about local history and how integral railways are to the community.

However, she adds that the most important aspect of these events isn't just the learning.

"It is really important for us, as we get older, to get out, to be with people, to meet people, to meet new friends, and to have an opportunity to just have conversation," said Stranges.

Moving forward, Stranges and Piecuch hope to collaborate with more local nonprofits to host more events and bring more resources and activities to older people in the area.

If you missed today's event and would like to attend another one in the future, organizers encourage people to follow along on the organizations' respective Facebook accounts.

The Facebook pages for the involved organizations are as follows: The Chemung County Department of Aging and Long-Term Care, the Chemung Valley Railway Historical Society, and the Horseheads Historical Society.

Additionally, you can sign check out the Chemung County Department of Aging and Long-Term Care's newsletters or stop by the office to check out the community bulletin board and learn more about upcoming events.