Brooks Historical Society
Current Projects
Brooks
Historical Society
Current Projects
Major Remodeling of the Freight Room of the Brooks Depot Museum
Taking advantage of the lull created by COVID-19, we began a major remodeling of
the Freight Room to include a timeline, a history center, and a limited number
of exhibits focused on the local area. This also was a good time to look at our
inventory of donated and loaned items.
New airtight and water-resistant flooring was installed, and then the
exhibits installed in a new configuration. Though there will be a limited number
of exhibits, there is a plan to rotate some of them yearly, through a list of 20
or more possible exhibits that were brainstormed by the committee.
Working on clearing the exhibits January 2022
A blank slate! The same corner with Empty walls and floors February 2022
The Caboose Project
Part of our plan is to move the office and storage spaces to the caboose. Work
on the caboose has been slow and hampered the extent of repairs necessary and by
COVID-19. The floor has been repaired, and two sides, with new windows
installed. We are now considering
bids to finish the work, and make the space available, so we can use the storage
and office space, and finalize the Depot Building re-configuration without an
office or storage.
Here
is our Joyful Welcome to Waycar (Caboose) # 14411!
Brooks
Historical Society Members greeted their 1910 CBQ waycar (caboose) as it was
settled into place on specially prepared tracks east of the Brooks Depot Museum
at Powerland Heritage Park on October 17, 2017. The waycar is planned to serve
as a society meeting room, office and storage room.
This will clear room in the historic depot for future renovations to
bring the depot back to more nearly to as it was when it was a working train
depot.
Thanks to BHS member Paul Duchateau, arrangements were
made to bring the waycar on two flatbed trailers to Powerland Heritage Park.
Then a large crane lifted it into place in three pieces; two wooden “trucks” or
wheel assemblies, and then the body of the car. CBQ is visible on the car in
several places. Careful sanding on the car revealed the number 14411.
Steve Rippeteau, a rail fan and new member of BHS,
pursued leads to find that the waycar began its working life for the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy (CBQ) Railroad in the Midwest. The book,
The Burlington Waycars, by Randall R. Danniel and
Marian L. Reis with Joseph Douda, shows that waycar #14411 was built by
the CB&Q in June, 1910 at their Aurora, Illinois shops as a NE-6 Class. When CB
& Q merged with Burlington Northern, in 1970, the car was brought west. That
same book shows that in June, 1975, waycar #14411 was sold to the Oregon,
Pacific & Eastern railway (OP&E).
OP&E, a now defunct logging and excursion railroad out
of Cottage Grove, Oregon did not keep it long. About 40 years ago (1977,
approximately) it was sold again to private owners south and west of Eugene,
Oregon. There it and an old {S&P} (Southern Pacific/Oregon & California) caboose
were used as lodging for workers on the property.
At
their January 2018 meeting, Brooks Historical Society voted to restore the
exterior so that it was functional and looked good, but not the most
historically accurate and thus expensive repair. They authorized Paul Duchateau
to research materials, methods, and expenses and get back to the Society with
information. The interior is mostly empty, but needs some modifications to be
functional as storage, an office and meeting room.
After a plan is adopted, we will begin repairs. If you would like to help
with the restoration and repairs, email Paul Duchateau at
pgdcase@comcast.net.
If you would like to donate to the project, contact our Treasurer, Dorene
Standish,
gdstand@aol.com.
You can
find more information about
CBQ,
OP&E
and a CBQ waycar in the
Medford
Railroad Park
similar to our own by clicking on these links.
Annual BHS
Used Book Sale
Again, this
year we will offer our used book sale, starting with June events. We will renew
and replenish our supplies as we can so for each event there is a sale, there
will be new and exciting used books to choose from at bargain prices. For
certain we will have the book sale during the Fourth of July Celebration, and
during both weekends of Steam-Up.
Video Recordings of Elders in the FrenchPrairie Area
Brooks Historical Society members are preserving oral histories of elders in the area. Their experiences range from farming, life in the armed forces, life in an internment camp during World War II, to inventions and innovations and their effect on lives and families. The members of the interviewing and recording crew started as amateurs, but are improving steadily. We would love to have an experienced video editor to help us with our project. Contact us if you are interested. We show selected videos in our museum to complement our other exhibits. We also offer the videos for sale to the public. See our Publications for Sale page.
