http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2008/02/26/life/doc47c4330c0039f169204306\
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Can Denison's Railroad Museum be saved?

By Donna Hunt
Herald Democrat


In 2006 I wrote a column about the need for a few good men - or women - to
help keep the Red River Railroad Museum open. The museum is located in the
Katy Depot building in downtown Denison.

Delbert Taylor and Vernon Bauer, volunteers, who had been trying to keep the
museum going, were tired and wanted someone or several someones to step up
and take over the reins. Mr. Bauer passed away recently of a heart attack.

Unfortunately the article didn't bring an army of volunteers out of the
woodwork. Delbert does have a very few good men and recently a few good
women have gotten involved. Now he is looking for more of either gender.

Tina DiToma wrote that the museum is in serious trouble but that a group of
individuals working with the remaining people on the museum's board are
trying to find a way to keep from losing the museum forever.

A meeting of the board of directors is planned for Sunday at the museum. The
Denison group trying to save the museum is inviting interested persons to
come to the museum between noon -2 p.m. to see what's there, and to discuss
what can be done to keep the artifacts in Denison.

The board met recently with a representative from the Katy Railroad
Historical Society who made his annual visit and discussed moving the
memorabilia to Kansas if Denison is not interested in having it here. Among
Denisonians attending that meeting was Mayor Robert Brady who offered to
support the group in any way he could to keep the museum in the depot.




Board members were told at that meeting that the museum received a letter
from the Union Pacific Railroad asking for rent payment as well as insurance
on the exhibit and track behind the depot where the "rolling stock," (the
engine, cabooses, oil cars, gondola and other cars) now are displayed.

The board formerly consisted of 24 members and now is down to 12 with only
two of those members from Denison. The others are from the Dallas area. It
is being discussed that the board needs to be reconstituted to include more
from this area.

Denisonians who have expressed their support of the museum include Bernie
and Janette Beckloff, Helen Johnson, Michelle Castle, Mavis Bryant, Cindy
Sutton and Doug Hoover. This group had volunteered to work with the
remaining board members to try to find a way to keep from losing the museum
forever.

Taylor said he isn't even a board member but he lives in Denison and is a
representative of the Katy Railroad Historical Society so he's been trying
to hold things together for years. Bauer was treasurer without much money to
oversee. A new treasurer is to be named at the Sunday meeting, along with
other officers and board members.

The museum was a dream of the late Jim O'Brien, but it has struggled for
years and Taylor said that if something doesn't happen soon, it's going to
chug off into the sunset like the Texas Special, the Zepher and the entire
MK&T Railroad. Taylor and Bauer tried to hold it together because they
promised O'Brien that they would.

The museum houses thousands of artifacts inside the former railroad depot
and presently keeps up the "rolling stock" on the track just east of the
depot. How long that will last is anyone's guess. The scene is a
photographer's delight and people can be seen all the time stopping to shoot
pictures.

Taylor said that a good inventory needs to be established of the items that
have been donated and are on-loan to the museum. There are many boxes in the
storage room that need to be cataloged and put on exhibit. The artifacts
need to be dusted and some need rearranging. With a few volunteers, a few
hours a day could not only man the museum, but get it in good shape pretty
quickly.

The museum was evaluated in 2003 by the Texas Heritage Trails program and
while it didn't receive a very good rating, good recommendations were made.
It was recognized for being located in an architecturally significant
building and for having a diverse array of interesting artifacts and a
brochure, although suggestions were made for improving the brochure.

Just looking at the museum, you can see the possibilities that would make it
a real tourist attraction it if was shaped up, its location publicized and
if it was made into something that would attract visitors.

Many of the railroad depots up and down the Katy line still are in existence
and most house chambers of commerce. Pryor, Okla., Clinton and Sedalia, Mo.,
are three such depots. Parsons, Kan. has a privately owned museum, and there
are others in Cushing, Okla., and Galveston, to name just three.

O'Brien was a 49-year employee and officer of the Katy who ended his career
with 22 years as superintendent of rules. His addiction to the museum
project motivated hunting activity as well as the contribution of personal
funds. He often could be seen out working around the rolling stock. His
dedication to the project was his contribution to Denison's heritage. Keith
Hubbard is another volunteer who in past years has kept the grounds around
the historical marker in front of the rolling stock.

For many years O'Brien and his wife, Velma, or his son-in-law Bill Giles,
who was curator of the museum, could be found there most days.

The citizens of Denison are going to have to show an interest in the museum
or it's going to be gone forever, DiToma said. Sunday could be a red letter
day for the museum. If the interest isn't here, the museum may be gone.

Donna Hunt is former editor of The Denison Herald. She lives in Denison and
can be contacted at d.hunt_903@....