08/04/2025
Many rumors have been circulating as to what is going on with the Salamanca Rail Museum. We felt it was important that we not address these rumors until now and instead, concentrate our efforts on moving all SRM collections, including its rolling stock, from the property before the final date of eviction (July 31).
The former museum buildings sit on the Seneca Nation of Indians’ Allegany Territory.
In the early 1980s when the Salamanca Rail Museum Association (SRMA) formed, the Chessie System donated the passenger station and freight house to the City of Salamanca. At this time, a lease should have been created between the City of Salamanca and the Seneca Nation for the property. This either did not happen, or there is no record of it. In 1991, when a new lease agreement was signed by the Seneca Nation and the City of Salamanca, this property should have been included. It was not. As a non-for-profit organization, the SRMA had no say in either of those negotiations, as these agreements were “government-to-government” settlements.
By the time the current Museum Administrator began work and a new SRMA Board formed, the City of Salamanca’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) had been given the responsibility of overseeing the property. The IDA paid for the insurance, grounds upkeep and any repairs either building might need, but turned over the day-to-day financial responsibilities and operations to the new management. As the property itself remained under control of the IDA, it continued to be responsible for the insurance, grounds and repair expenses.
In late 2023, the IDA informed the Museum that it would no longer pay those expenses and that if the Museum did not take over those payments, it would turn the property over to the Seneca Nation. The SRMA Board of Trustees agreed to pay those additional expenses (which added about $6,000 in new costs to its annual budget), but requested that the IDA transfer the deed to the SRMA. Because we expected this to happen in a timely manner, we paid half of the IDA’s insurance on the property for 2024. When an agreement was delayed, we paid the remainder of the insurance to the IDA. The SRMA also paid for a new air conditioner, roof repairs and the regrouting of the Museum’s west wall, as well as all grounds upkeep.
At that time, the Museum received an annual $10,000 grant from the Cattaraugus County Legislature to help with annual budget expenses, and an annual $15,000 grant from the City of Salamanca to pay for the Museum Director’s part-time salary. The additional expenses imposed by the IDA were not covered by any of this money, and the SRMA had to use its fundraising and donated monies to cover those additional expenses, instead of projects that expanded the Museum’s programming to the community and the region.
When the bill came for 2025, the IDA informed the Museum they would not accept a partial payment. On March 14, 2025, the Museum made a payment of $4,638.85 to the IDA for the annual insurance, despite the billing statement indicating that the amount was being charged “In Lieu of Rent”. At that time we were assured that the IDA’s lawyers and Seneca Nation of Indians’ lawyers were working out an agreement.
On April 16, 2025, the Seneca Nation of Indians issued a letter to the IDA stating that it would not be issuing a lease for the property. We were given until the end of April to have everything removed. At our request, the IDA did ask for an extension of the eviction, to which the Seneca Nation agreed, and we then had until the end of July before the IDA would evict us and transfer the buildings to the Seneca Nation.
We are working to secure a new property. A few locations have been evaluated, and conceptual drawings are being made to approach those who control the properties we are considering. Please understand we cannot publicly disclose any of these potential locations, but we do not plan to move far. We also do not know what the future plans are for the buildings and grounds.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us with the move. To those who are not familiar with the challenges of rail preservation, the support we got from the local railroads, groups, businesses, and individuals, is unprecedented. Details regarding how the move was accomplished as well as recognition of all businesses, groups and individuals will be posted at a later time.
