When Cornelia was looking to revamp its image six years ago, they worked with Piedmont College students to develop a logo and marketing theme. What they came up with incorporated the famed Big Red Apple – a throwback to Cornelia’s apple orchard years – and something else central to the town, train tracks. The city built marketing campaigns around the tagline, “Cornelia, let the tracks lead you here.”
For 150 years, they have.
The city’s storied train history is preserved through the artifacts and exhibits housed in the Train Museum at the Historic Depot in downtown Cornelia. If not for Buck Snyder’s efforts, that history and the city’s architectural centerpiece may have been lost.
RELATED: Cornelia to celebrate Buck Snyder Day
Buck Snyder Day
Snyder, the son of a former railwayman, is credited with saving the historic train depot from destruction in 1989. As president of the Cornelia Depot Association, he has successfully rallied groups of like-minded volunteers and donors through the decades to help preserve and protect the depot and Cornelia’s rail history.
This weekend, the city of Cornelia honored Snyder for his enduring efforts. Mayor John Borrow, city commissioners Don Bagwell and Mark Reed, and Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson were among those at the historic depot on Saturday to pay tribute to Snyder on a day named in his honor.
Borrow read a proclamation declaring Saturday Buck Snyder Day. He recognized Snyder as someone who has “unselfishly given his time and talent to protect and preserve the depot and the cabooses.” The Cornelia Depot Association hosted the event. Those who attended toured the museum and refurbished cabooses, and previewed a new documentary featuring Snyder, called Cornelia: A Train Town, produced by Habersham’s own Peter Madruga.
The man of the hour humbly thanked everyone for the honor and volleyed back the praise onto those who have helped him through the years.
