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(rshsdepot) Caldwell, ID
From the Idaho Statesman.
Original article and photo at:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/166/story/578802.html
Bernie Wagenblast
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Restored Caldwell depot makes debut
Open house Friday will unveil interpretive displays and a model train as
part of the city's annual holiday celebration.
BY KRISTIN RODINE - krodine_@_idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 11/21/08
Caldwell's rich railroad history will be on display Friday night as the city
celebrates its new Train Depot Interpretative Center and the start of the
holiday season.
Volunteers and city leaders have worked for about six years to restore the
historic downtown train depot and create a venue for schoolchildren and
others to learn about railroads and their community's history.
"It's just awesome to see this project come to a head," said Caldwell City
Clerk Debbie Geyer, who launched the effort six years ago, forming the group
Friends of the Depot.
About $750,000 in grant funds fueled restoration of the 102-year-old depot,
replacing the roof and recreating features such as dormers and a ticket
counter, Geyer said. More grant funds helped create a spacious plaza in
front of the depot that houses public events, including Friday Night
Express, a series of summer concerts that draw up to 750 people.
The project has been a boon to Caldwell's downtown revitalization efforts,
but its heart is in the city's railroad past.
"The train was why Caldwell really became the community it is," Geyer said.
A railroad scout and publicity man chose the site and named the city of
Caldwell in 1883. In 1906, the Oregon Short Line Railroad built the Caldwell
depot for $40,000, an amount eclipsed by the first year's ticket sales.
The 3,000-square-foot building at 7th and Main was been a center of
community life for decades, taking soldiers off to war and students off to
college, Geyer said. Passenger service at the depot ended in the 1960s.
Freight service continued until the mid-1980s. Later that decade, Union
Pacific sold the depot to the city for $1.
It has remained a local landmark, lovely but underused. Until now.
The interpretative center features photos and other displays that depict the
past of the railroad and community. One highlight is a model train that runs
along a scene depicting Caldwell's Main Street circa 1906, Geyer said.
Another will be a "Whistle through Time" interpretative quilt; the center
block will be unveiled at Friday night's open house, which coincides with
the city's Winter Wonderland celebration and Christmas tree-lighting.
Plans call for opening the interpretative center to the public on weekends,
but no schedule has been established yet, she said.
Kristin Rodine: 377-6447
=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1809
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org