PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — Behind a chain link fence, between a 1913 dining car and a 1912 passenger coach full of railroad memorabilia, a faded wooden sign reading "West Maxwell" can be seen from Hodge Park in Hermiston. The sign is one of the last reminders of a time long past, when the railroad attracted human inhabitants to the stretch of high desert that would someday become the largest city in Eastern Oregon. The plan was to name that settlement Maxwell, after the Maxwell railroad siding along the line between Hinkle and Umatilla, but instead Hermiston was born. "It turned out there was already a Maxwell, Oregon," explained John Spinden. Few people know that bit of history now, but Spinden and fellow Maxwell Siding Railroad Museum caretaker Connie Maret are fighting to keep the city's institutional memory of its railroading roots alive. These days it's no easy task — trains no longer run through the middle of Hermiston, and booming growth in other industries has diluted the presence of railroader families in town. Thirty years ago a former municipal judge named John Bennett rallied about a dozen citizens to create the museum around a handful of donated railroad cars.
Railroad Museum Looking To Pass On Hermiston's Legacy
NewsOK.com RSS - life, Daily Oklahoman: Living
Sun, 05/24/2015 - 10:01am
Welcome to Wopular
Wopular is an
online newspaper rack,
giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.
Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular,
MWB,
RottenTomatoes
MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site
- "Expendables 4" Starts Shooting This Fall, Says Randy Couture at the Arnold Sports Festival more
- “Expendables 4” Gets Funding Interest from “Ip Man 3” Financier more
- "Ip Man 3" Distributor Suspected of Box Office Fraud, Parent Company Loses $200M in Market Cap more
- Yen Targets "Ip Man 4" for 2018 Release; Discusses Film with Director, Producer more
- "Ip Man 3" Shatters Expectations with $72M Opening [China Box Office] more