The Glenwood Inn was "one of the best known summer resorts in this section of the state and Hornell's leading place of recreation".
[2] 25 acres (10 ha) in size, it was developed by the owners of the Hornellsville & Canisteo Electric Railroad, inaugurated in 1892, on "a wooded glen and bluff" and "a mile of river" they purchased,[3] so as to build ridership by creating a destination.
[4] Adjacent to it were a dance hall, which also served as a skating rink,[5] a bandstand/pavilion, merry-go-round, picnic tables, a tennis court, and a boathouse where rowboats could be rented for use in an artificial lake created by a small dam on the Canisteo River.
Boys could swim in the river (few girls were interested), and "trails for hiking ran back up on the hill through the glen".
[6][7][8] It was a venue for concerts by the Canisteo Band or one from a neighboring community,[7][8] banquets, dances, and picnics.