(rshsdepot) Troutdale, OR

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Photo & information links:
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/908/images/news/depot-rail-museum-exterior
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http://www.oregonstate.net/troutdale/historical_society/rail_depot.htm


Back on Track

New cutouts enliven Rail Depot Museum 05/22/02
Anne Endicott - Gresham Outlook

New faces will greet visitors in an old place on Wednesday, May 29, when the
Troutdale Historical Society celebrates the gala re-opening of the Rail
Depot Museum with the unveiling of the Depot People. Eleven one-dimensional
historical figures, hand-painted on wafer-board, depict those who once
traveled to or from Troutdale by train and those who manned the rails. Their
presence, according to Jeff Lawry, who is overseeing the project, will add
authenticity to the depot's historical displays. "I wanted to redesign the
look of the depot," he said. "(The Depot People) will add a little more to
the artifacts." The life-sized, wooden cutouts, resembling train passengers,
conductors, a World War I-era soldier and hobo, have been strategically
placed among railroad antiques and equipment as an in-your-face illustration
of the people who once used and worked in the 95-year-old building. There's
even a bit of whimsy. "We'll have dogs and cats chasing each other," Lawry
said, "and the hobo is the only multi-dimensional one we have. His arms
stick out so he can hold a tray for our donation bowl." Together with his
father, Jerry, a former window designer for Meier and Frank and the Lipman
Wolf Co., Lawry spent the winter spearheading the project. The elder Lawry
sketched historical figures, which were enlarged on an overhead projector.
The images were transferred to the waferboard forms. Like sleeping
silhouettes, the cutouts laid around Jerry Lawry's Gresham home waiting to
be brought to life. "Dad spent three months painting them in his art
studio," Jeff said. "He wanted everything to be perfect." The idea for
spiffing up the depot can be attributed to the younger Lawry. He was smitten
with the building's rich history after reading letters written by an
employee of the former Oregon Railway and Navigation Co., which is now Union
Pacific Railroad. Newton Parsons and his wife relocated to Troutdale from
their native Kansas in the early 1900s. Parsons took a job as a clerk with
the railroad so his homesick wife could travel back to Kansas to spend
summers with her family. "You learn a way of life," Lawry said, referring to
the letters between Parsons and his wife, which were recently given to the
historical society by the Parsons family. "I've always been a history buff,
but I thought the Depot People would give the depot a new look." Lawry said
visitors to the Rail Depot will feel like they?ve stepped through a time
warp. Painted station masters will be positioned to appear as if they are
working in the old railroad station, while passengers will be scattered
among displays of antique valises and steamer trunks or purchasing tickets
at the counter. For those unfamiliar with train travel, the Depot People
will present a better visual. "People didn't realize this was a ticket
window until we pointed it out," Lawry said, gesturing to the wire caged
window over a wooden counter in the lobby. "But we have some people who come
in here and say, 'I remember when this was here,' when they see an artifact
that's out of place. I get a kick out of putting it back there for them."
The Troutdale Historical Society purchased the Rail Depot in partnership
with the city of Troutdale in 1976. The deed, signed over by Union Pacific
Railroad, cost $1. With the aid of a bicentennial grant the same year, the
building was moved a few blocks east of its original location to where it
sits now at 473 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. Though a full
restoration of the depot has always been on the to-do list for the
historical society, funding for such a project has been difficult to secure.
Mary Bryson, curator of collections for the Troutdale Historical Society,
said the group received a $600 donation last fall earmarked for the
restoration project. Until such work can begin, volunteers are leaving their
own mark. "Jeff and his dad have just done a fantastic job," Bryson said.
"They did everything. They came up with the sketches for the (historical
society's board of directors) and sold the idea to the board. They worked
hard on it all winter long." Centerpiece for the Rail Depot's grand
re-opening, which will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, will
be the sponsorship auction of the Depot People. Patrons can bid for the
opportunity to have their name placed on the back of a life-sized rail
passenger, conductor, hobo or one of Jerry Lawry's other creations. Funds
raised will be used to support the Rail Depot and the historical society's
other preservation effort, the Harlow House. Though the depot is staffed by
volunteer station masters and open for limited hours during its summer
season, Bryson is hopeful that the Depot People's arrival will attract
railroad buffs and those who recall the good old days of train travel. "I
think it's going to be a great draw," she said. "People will come to see the
changes in the museum for one thing. Hopefully, if the public is drawn in,
the museum will be able to stay open longer." Reporter Anne Endicott can be
reached at aendicott_@_theoutlookonline.com or by calling 503-492-5116.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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