Old Depot Museum on track for railroad fun Sunday

OTTAWA — The Franklin County Historical Society will be working on the railroad 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Old Depot Museum. T he museum will have an open house for the current exhibit, “Workin’ On the Railroads.” This is a partner exhibit to the Smithsonian traveling exhibit “The Way We Worked” at the Lumberyard Art Center on the square in Baldwin City. Ottawa’s exhibit focuses on Franklin County railroad workers, historical society executive director Deborah Barker said. Viewers will learn about the two railroad companies that ran from Lawrence to Ottawa—the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston and the Lawrence and Southern Kansas—before the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe took over the line. A video for kids about railroading will run all afternoon. There will be railroad-themed coloring, and opportunities to learn about the Morse code used by the railroads before telephones existed, and signal lanterns and flags. The meaning of railroad whistles will be explored. At 2, the caboose donated by Ron and Deanna Kimes will be dedicated. Last year it was moved to the rails northwest of the depot and repainted by Bones Landscaping. At 3, Virgil Dean, originally from Peoria, will give a short presentation about railroad workers. He serves as the project historian for “The Way We Worked.” The historical society will also seek information from visitors about Franklin County railroad workers, and asking them to add their names to a notebook recording their family members who worked on the railroad. Oral histories will be scheduled of folks with stories they want to preserve. The event is free and refreshments will be served.
Tuesday, April 23, 2 p.m.