HICKSVILLE’S JOHN BULL LOCOMOTIVE Dedication Ceremony May 17, 2008

A public ceremony will take place on May 17, 2008 at 10:00 am in Hicksville's Kennedy Memorial Park. We will be celebrating two special events on this day. Hicksville was founded 360 years ago. We are also making plans for Hicksville to have its own icon dedicated on this day. This site will hold the dedication of the John Bull locomotive replica that was built by Chamber of Commerce President James Pavone. The full-sized, non-operating replica, which has taken Mr. Pavone slightly over two years to build, is based on the 1831 “John Bull”; locomotive which was imported from Britain and ran on the Camden and Amboy Railroad. It served for the inspiration for Matthias W. Baldwin to build locomotives in this country. Baldwin built the Long Island Rail Road’s first locomotive “the Ariel”, the image of which can be seen on Hicksville's welcome signs and banners.

There will be music played in the park pertaining to the occasion. Food will be served. You can get the image of the John Bull in your camera lens in the foreground and see today’s train sitting on the train trestle in the background. Bringing the 19th and 21st centuries together in 1 snapshot.

Official Website: http://www.hicksvillechamber.com/event_engine.html