WI&M Depot

Depot Hosts Day of Art and Music

2011-10-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Jim and Rebecca West played a few tunes as Karen Rohn kicked off an art event at the Depot Saturday

It's only fitting that Jim and wife Rebecca were the first ones to play music on the new stage in the freight room. After all, Jim spent a grueling 29 hours building the platform, which has been planned as the first step in creating an elevated office space. Originally Jim thought the platform would take about 9 hours, but as usual, the depot had some construction surprises in store. Once other HPG and PHS members saw Jim and Becca perform, some suggested we rethink the elevated office concept and leave the platform as a stage. It made a great small concert venue as people wandered in and out of the depot, checking out exhibits and watching Karen and local artist Andy Sewell paint train scenes at their easels on the loading dock. Charlie Sutton played more music in the afternoon.

A Little Dancing in the Depot!

PHS members Bonnie Rohn and Judi Rohn tended the museum and store

And Karen Rohn enjoyed the sunshine and a turn at the easel

More Speeder Photos

2011-07-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

By now, everyone should be recovered from the busy speeder event, and now that I've caught my breath, I will post these photos from Kathylu Szabo. She shot a number of good pictures during the day, and also kept up on her flagging duties at the main crossing and at the park. Kathylu is a loyal volunteer who helps with flagging each year, and also brought along a helper, Kathleen Burns, who heads up Moscow's Arts Commission. We enjoy their support and reliability, not to mention Kathylu's love of trains. By the way, HPG Treasurer Don Somers noted that this year's speeder event brought in great revenue, which helps us move along in our depot restoration.

HPG Member Creates New Art for Town

2011-07-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Local artist Karen Rohn is at it again, beautifying the town of Potlatch with her excellent work. This time she has painted the historic Potlatch Lumber Company sawmill on a saw blade, with accompanying art on smaller blades. Bennett Lumber Products go-to guy was once again Paul "Poke" Montgomery, who worked tirelessly to not only round up the blades, but also file the teeth so Karen wouldn't have to cope with any carnage. Karen is adding final touches to the work, which was installed at the little welcome park's kiosk just in time for Potlatch Days. There is no end to the things Karen is doing to keep the unique heritage of "Idaho's Historic Company Town" alive, and we are proud she is an active member of the HPG! Stop by and see Karen's latest creations when you are in town.

Speeder Days Now in the History Books

2011-07-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

The 8th Annual HPG Depot Days are over and the speeder operators and HPG volunteers are now recovering. What an excellent weekend to ride the rails! The weather was perfect, the 23 speeder cars and their operators managed to delight the riders again, and the seasoned volunteers kept things on time. The thank you's can start with Jim West doing a bit more on the freight room finish work, then Kenny Cada doing intense cleaning, and Jack Coyner and Don Somers getting the Kennedy Ford turnaround ready. Such details often go unnoticed but are very important! We also have to give a special salute to Caryn Brown and Shannley Moon, who did presale and ticket sales. These girls are so organized it's scary! And the seasoned veteran Don Somers got all the speeders checked in and ready.

The dock workers are a well-oiled machine by now. Thank you Don Somers, Roger Farrell, Mike Kauffman-- and Dave Vos and Dave Zuhn from Minnesota! And don't forget one very key player: Jack Coyner, who distributes water for the thirsty crews! Also flaggers Aaron and Brian Magelky, Hal Van deVord, Jim Evermann, Joel and Cynthia King and son Phillip, Dave Nice, Kathylu Szabo, Kathleen Burns, Webb and Isaac French, and Tom and Peter Hillebrant.

Details of how many rode the speeders and how much income was derived are still being processed, but suffice it to say we had a very good year!

Pictured from top:

1. Speeders ready to go!

2. Don and Joyce Holst, from Grants Pass and newcomers to the speeder lifestyle, prepare to take on passengers.

3. Don Somers processes speeders to see how many passengers can be taken on each ride (this is certainly an inexact science but Don kept things running smoothly)

4. Jack Coyner, speeder event co-coordinator, shares some down time with flaggers Brian and Aaron Magelky.

5. Shirley Somers gets a speeder ride with Mark Hudson who came all the way from Dry Ridge, Kentucky!

6. Clyde Andrews pilots the John Henry down the track with special guest Keith Petersen, Idaho State Historian, his wife Mary Reed and their friends Steve and Chris Talbott.

The Day After...

2011-07-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

(Pictured above: speeders crest the hill coming into Moscow as seen through the windshield; Don Somers, left, and Clyde Andrews take a break at Palouse. Note the cargo being towed by the John Henry!!)

July 9 marked the HPG's eighth speeder event, and as always, the day brought people from far and wide to ride the rails to either Princeton or Kennedy Ford, with a longer ride to Palouse as the grand finale. Stay tuned for a separate posting on the wrap-up on our Depot Days event.

Meanwhile, some of the stalwart volunteers got a grand finale of their own, riding to Moscow the day after on July 10. For me, your loyal blogger (Barb Coyner), the ride with Clyde Andrews in the John Henry, was the best speeder ride ever!!! Clyde and his son Kurt brought the larger speeder from Othello and we were glad to see the father-son team back after several years of not attending (We did miss seeing Clyde's wife Bonnie!). Don Somers and Jack Coyner also got to enjoy the ride to Moscow and back, as we departed from the Potlatch Depot at 8:30 am and returned at 3 pm. The weather could not have been better and the views riding through the wheat fields of the Palouse were grand. At one point, a cropduster dive-bombed a field next to the track, adding a bit of excitement. We also enjoyed some nice scenery along the Palouse River and an inspiring panorama as we scooted down the grade into Moscow.

It is rides such as these that refresh the weary crew, and allow the speeder operators to regroup after giving many rides the day before. Our thanks to these loyal operators will never be enough! At the conclusion of our ride, Shirley Somers had the margaritas waiting as Don, Jack and Barb recapped a very busy weekend!

Depot Gets Its First Researcher

2011-06-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Khaleila Wright is researching the Potlatch Lumber Company camp history and info pertaining to Camp Grizzly, planning to write a book about ghost stories related to the area. Once she contacted Barb Coyner about such local history, the two arranged to meet up at the depot. Where else could she pore over Family Tree issues and other old papers other than sitting at William Deary's desk? This is the kind of encounter we love! At the same time Khaleila was writing out her findings in the small office, Jim West was working with another new volunteer, Amber Townsley, who comes to us from Columbia Falls, Montana. Amber loves to work with power tools and spent time painting trims yesterday. We thank you, Amber!

Depot Store Open for Business

2011-06-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Pictured above are storekeepers Karen Rohn and Don Somers sharing a lighter moment as they prepare the HPG's Company Store for its opening weekend. During the summer, the store will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm. New merchandise includes an array of HPG logo caps and shirts, plus Karen's amazing artwork, a number of train-themed books, CDs and gift items from the Potlatch Historical Society. The depot is also decked out with historical exhibits for viewers to enjoy, and Don has train videos running during business hours. Be sure and stop by if you are in the area and don't foget to shop the Depot and Potlatch for Father's Day gifts. The city-wide yard sale and downtown flea market are June 18, and a new antique shop, Hatter Creek Treasures, has joined the business district. Make the Depot and Potlatch your destination soon!!!!

Speeder Pre-sale tickets now available

2011-06-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Can you hear them calling "All Aboard!" at the Potlatch Depot??? Mark your calendar for Saturday July 9 when the speeders return to town to share their little cars and enthusiasm, letting riders experience riding the rails. Pre-sale tickets went on sale yesterday at the Potlatch branch of US Bank and already some of the seats have sold for the long ride to Palouse at 3:15 pm. Couple those tickets with tickets to the barbecue dinner at the little depot in Scenic Six Park and you have the makings of a quality date!

RIDE SCHEDULE

9 am to Princeton
10 am to Kennedy Ford
11 am to Princeton
12 Noon to Kennedy Ford
1:15 pm to Princeton
2:15 pm to Kennedy Ford
3:15 pm to Palouse ***
3:15 pm to Princeton ***

*** If Palouse ride is not sold out, available seats will head to Princeton at 3:15 pm

Pre-sale tickets for the short rides to Princeton and Kennedy Ford are $15 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Presale tickets for the long ride to Palouse are $45, with kids 12 and under at $25. Remember, these rides are priced a bit higher because they guarantee a ride time and destination. Tickets purchased on the day of the event are strictly first come-first served. Short rides to Princeton and Kennedy Ford are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Tickets for the barbecue dinner catered by Don and Tyler Renz are $10 for adults and $7 for kids. These tickets are offered only on a pre-sale basis.

For more info on pre-sale tickets, contact the US Bank in Potlatch at (208) 875-1351.

Potlatch Historical Society Hands Out Awards

2011-05-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Potlatch Historical Society chose the Depot as its venue for handing out its Pine Tree Awards on May 11. Pictured, left to right, are Amber and Dan Akins, Carol Haddock (PHS President), Cheryl Kreid, Karen Rohn and Lindy Seip. Dan and Amber accepted their award on behalf of the Akins family and Harvest Foods. The local market put up a variety of historical photos on its walls, and they've been greatly enjoyed by shoppers. Cheryl was on hand to accept the award for the Latah Federal Credit Union, which also chose to exhibit a variety of historical photos at the request of new CEO Lowell Stevens. Karen Rohn was cited for her excellent mural of the old sawmill, which was painted on the side of the Wagon Wheel in downtown Potlatch. Although they were absent from the evening's awards, Dale Spring and Diane Senften, owners of the Wagon Wheel, were also honored for hiring Karen to paint the mural. Lindy Seip, long-time PHS member and previous secretary, was thoroughly surprised by her White Pine Award, which was given in recognition of her loyal service to the organization. Lindy and her husband Bob Zemetra will be moving to Oregon where he will be taking over leadership of the wheat breeding program at Oregon State University.

At the recent WIM HPG board meeting, the board voiced its hope that the Depot would be used for more community activities, so it was great to see PHS celebrate its Pine Tree Award ceremony there. In similar fashion, the Palouse Empire Rail Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Depot tonight as participants have signed up for an evening of pizza and train videos. And Karen Rohn, one of the HPG's newest members, will soon open on Fridays to display her art and also sell HPG items from the Company Store.

Monday Morning Recap

2011-05-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

The dust has settled at the depot, and with some luck, 20 volunteers now feel a little less stiff and sore after the hard day of demolition last Saturday. The amount of work that got accomplished was amazing, and the WIM HPG especially thanks the US Bank team for donating their community service hours to the depot project. Kenny, Michelle, Caryn, Shannley, Tori and Phil not only furnished muscle power to take off countless buckets of lathe and plaster, but they also brought most of the food. "Thank you" is just not enough, especially to Tori Van Allen and Phil Omlor, who traveled from the Post Falls area. Phil said he'd done similar demolition work at Fort Missoula some years back, and Tori, who hails from Kellogg, is no stranger to historic building projects either. Pictured at right are Jim Haddock (left) and Don Somers who got started rolling waste materials down the chute. Thanks to Webb French and sons Ben and John, the ceiling had already been taken down, and the French team also devised the chute.

Barb West, Jim's sister-in-law, is a frequent volunteer who gives a solid day's work. The mask is a nice touch, don't you think? Given the huge amount of dust, masks were necessary. It almost appears that people were working underwater given all the dust particulates floating past the camera lens!

Board member Webb French brought son Joe along to help with demolition, althoughthe French family had already done a huge amount of work the previous Saturday. Webb did admit that lunch was a nice incentive to return to work this Saturday! Although Benand John were absent this Saturday, we thank them for their work this past week.

The newest teller at the Potlatch branch of US Bank, Shannley Moon, gets busy with the hammer and chisel, as her husband Jonathan works in the adjacent room.

Jim Haddock, above, and Joe Griffin, below, were not afraid of the hard work, but they did seem a bit camera shy!

Karen Rohn gets ready to do some serious work. She's already a seasoned veteran when it comes to working on the depot interiors

Dave Cada was no slacker, piling up plenty of plaster in his dusty space. Interestingly enough, Dave spent his first year of life in the depot, where his parents Dorothy and Joe Cada lived in one of the upstairs apartments. Thus he has a great historic tie to the depot. Dave currently serves on Potlatch City Council.

Project manager Jim takes a break with brother Mike West. Mike and his wife Barb retired last year and were agreeable to getting up early to come and work. Thanks, you two!

Saturday's Roster of Volunteers

WE HONOR YOU AND THANK YOU!

Don Somers, Jesse Glassman, Tori Van Allen, Caryn Brown, Kenny Cada,

Michelle French, Phil Omlor, Shannley Moon, Dave Cada, Jack Coyner,

Jim Haddock, Mike West, Barb West, Karen Rohn, Richard Craven,

Jonathan Moon, Joe Griffin, Webb French, Joe French, Barb Coyner

A special thank you to the POTLATCH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

for donating Centennial plates and mugs as gifts for volunteers

Jim West, Project Manager

He earned his lunch and more!

Saturday's Demolition Day

2011-05-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Project Manager Jim West gives safety talk

The US Bank team: Michelle French, Phil Omlor, Caryn Brown,

Shannley Moon, Tori Van Allen, Kenny Cada (front)

Caryn Brown wields a mean shovel

Phil Omlor and Jack Coyner lug lathe to the chute

Kenny Cada works the bucket brigade

Jesse Glassman does dumpster duty

US Bank employees Tori Van Allen and Phil Omlor

came from Post Falls for the work party

Stirring up the dust--good reason for the masks!

Shovel Ready Project?

2011-04-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Latah County Historic Preservation Commission met at the depot this morning, and the "before" part of the before-and-after tour shows that we definitely have a shovel-ready project for Saturday! And this is one of the tidier scenes. Lathe and plaster everywhere, and that's only from the ceiling demolition. One can only wonder where all the waste materials will go once we get busy on Saturday!

Work Party Saturday

2011-04-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our venerable president Kenny Cada, US Bank is supplying some much needed muscle to do demolition work upstairs in the depot this Saturday. Jim and his little band of elves must've been at work last weekend, because the ceilings are already down and the floors are piled high with lathe and plaster. This week, work resumes with the US Bank volunteers and others taking on the lathe and plaster walls. The work party begins at 9 am, lunch will be served, and there will also be a chance to do some outside gardening chores. The HPG will supply hard hats, safety glasses and respirators, and volunteers should bring leather gloves and wear thick-soled boots. The work teams will rotate with frequent breaks, so plan to have some fun along with the labor!

On a related note, Larry Comer and Del Hatch were in town yesterday as part of kicking off a study of possibilities for the old mill site. The depot is a key part of that land and its future, so Larry and Del took copious notes to learn more about the WIM HPG, the depot and our plans. It was a very productive tour, with a fair amount of dreaming involved. Pie in the sky? Not really when you think of how much has been accomplished since the mill closed 30 years ago this year!

Deary's Desk Comes to the Depot

2011-04-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Dan Crandall brought the William Deary desk to the depot last Saturday. Dan is the Director of the Latah County Historical Society and a real fan of the depot project. For some time he has hoped to bring the desk back to town and he picked a day of pouring rain and cold to get the job done. Accompanied by his wife Marilyn, sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Ward Pletcher of Ferndale WA, son Aaron and grandson Perry, Dan toured his family through the depot and even enjoyed a look at the caboose. Marilyn was especially interested in being part of the demolition day scheduled for April 30. That's when the US Bank employees will volunteer some hours of community service, thanks to HPG President Kenny Cada, manager of the Potlatch branch of US Bank.

Dan isn't exactly sure how the desk came to the LCHS headquarters and he didn't know whether the desk had been at the depot or maybe at an office in Moscow, but he knew it was Deary's desk. It is possible that the desk actually was in the depot back in the days of Deary's tenure. Dan assures us he will be looking into the background of the desk when he gets time and further information.

Dan Crandall and his family toured the caboose as part of delivering the William Deary desk to the depot last weekend.

Meanwhile Paul "Poke" Montgomery called last week to say the lumber for the caboose is ready and will be brought to the annex when the weather clears up. Poke and his wife Jeanette are donating the lumber for the caboose, a very generous gift for the X5 and the HPG!

Annual Meeting Sets New Goals

2011-03-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday March 19, 2011, brought the WIM HPG board together for its annual meeting and the group saw some changes. For starters, charter board members Tom Burg and Jack Coyner got off the board, along with Brian Magelky, and two new members, Webb French and Paul Kimmell, were added. During the election of officers, Kendria "Kenny" Cada took over the helm as President, Jack stepped in as Veep, Barb Coyner stayed on as Secretary, and Don Somers retained the challenging duties as Treasurer. Jim West will serve as Chairman of the Board. Other board members are Tom Hillebrant and Carl Sonner.

The group reviewed its significant progress at developing the north end of the depot, and discussed upcoming demolition efforts as volunteers from US Bank work on the second floor on April 30. Board member also want to make the depot more open to the public and many hope to see the Potlatch Historical Society keep some regular hours during the summer. Don and Jack might hold some train group meetings in the future in keeping with the Palouse Empire Rail Society's past mission. And the X5 caboose also received its share of attention as it was announced that Poke and Jeanette Montgomery will donate lumber to repair the caboose's deteriorating siding. The Potlatch Recreation District has chipped in with a generous donation to help restore the caboose, as well. It is this type of local support that has the HPG moving ahead.

In addition to the meeting, several HPG members went "sidetracking" to check out the trains around Plummer Junction. The above photo is compliments of Tom Hillebrant, the able editor of the White Pine Quarterly. Look for more of his photos in the next WPQ.

Storm Windows Tested During Cold Spell

2011-02-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

It's been nearly a month since Moscow Glass and Awning installed the new storm windows on the north end of the first floor. Thanks to a grant from Idaho Heritage Trust, we are one step closer to making the waiting room, ticket office, kitchen area and hallway warmer. The windows went up January 7 and they are really attractive, adding a protective covering the original wavy glass. The acid test came last week during the WIM HPG officers' meeting, when Jack Coyner, Brian Magelky, Don Somers and Barb Coyner held court in the waiting room, with outside temperatures hovering around 25 degrees. The interior temperature stayed right around 66, not exactly cozy, but improving. If we can upgrade the heating system (thank you Jim West for working on that grant application to Avista!), and add some insulation in the floor, our building will be even more inviting. Thanks Jack Coyner for writing the successful Idaho Heritage Trust grant and thank you Idaho Heritage Trust for being a valued partner in this restoration project.

New Year, New Challenges

2011-01-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a month since the Blackbird Station vacated the depot, discouraging both the tenants and the HPG about business potential at the site. Tenants Julie Kerr and Karen Rohn, owners of Blackbird Station, pointed to the lousy economy as reasons to pull the plug after barely six months in operation.

Yet there is still reason to look ahead to good possibilities for the restored depot, and HPG members are exploring a range of options. One angle is the continuing discussions on new uses for the old millsite. Potlatch Corporation shut down the mill 30 years ago this year, and officially wrote the obituary on the sawmill in 1983, dismantling the entire operation. Yet the huge lumber company is actually talking to a group about potential tenants on the property. The old millsite is after all one of the largest commercial properties available in the county, and if it is developed, the depot is the prime location for a variety of business uses. HPG President Jack Coyner is part of the monthly discussion group on the millsite, and Latah County Economic Development head Aimee Shipman is ready to roll on a feasibility study for the grounds. HPG board member and local banker Kenny Cada has been directly involved in making the selection for the feasibility study contractors. More information will be available soon.

Since the depot is no longer hosting a business, the regularly-scheduled bus stop has been moved to Dad's Diner on Highway 95.

Train fans picnic at the Depot

2010-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

A chance stop at the Depot once again showed how popular our old building is among tourists. As I drove past, Steve Mims, his wife Caroline Pierson-Mims and her brother John were wandering around on the loading dock, praising the improvements that have happened since Caroline and Steve moved to Idaho in the 1980's. The couple originally lived near Freeze, then moved to Moscow, and both Caroline and Steve continue to work at the nearby universities. They were clearly well versed in Potlatch history and intended to show John the new and improved depot during his visit from North Carolina. In addition to a great conversation with the three train buffs, it was nice to see them take out their picnic lunch and enjoy the sunshine as they dined on the loading dock.

Another Depot Fan Saves History from Wrecking Ball

2010-09-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Traveling through Logan, Utah, it's hard not to be distracted by the depot restoration project on the south end of town. Local real estate broker Jed Willets of Cache Heritage Realty has really put some time and money into the depot he rescued from nearby Smithfield. Not only did he pay to move the building, but he's painstakingly given thought to the new materials he's added to enhance the historic depot, which he says dates from about 1885. In the future, the depot will house his business and another related business. Jed also hopes to locate a railcar and lighting to add to the overall railroad theme. It is interesting that out of four railroad depots that once served the Cache Valley, only the Smithfield depot remains. It's always fun to talk to someone else who appreciates the rich history of railroading in the West, and is willing to invest in saving a historic depot. We (Barb and Jack) were fortunate to meet Jed while staying at a hotel next door.

BlackBird Station Officially Opens 9-11

2010-09-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

BlackBird Station at the Potlatch Depot officially opened its doors for business September 11 amist plenty of flare --and fun. Pictured from top are "the Palouse Gals," a group who clearly came to enjoy the new shop, the restored depot and a variety of vendors. Shirley of Buffalo Gals Jewelry set up shop in the freight room, while Potlatch musician Jake Willard serenaded visitors throughout the day. Meanwhile BlackBird co-owner Karen Rohn's daughter Taurean and her guy Shogo came over from Seattle to do some special edition silk screens. It was a celebration of talent, as Julie Kerr and Karen Rohn showed off their new and constantly changing inventory at the depot. And according to Jack Coyner, the parking lot was packed all day. Way to go Julie and Karen. We wish you well!

Blackbird Station Grand Opening Recap

2010-09-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

Julie Kerr, left, and Karen Rohn are pictured above taking a well-deserved break to work on the depot planters after a hugely successful grand opening last Saturday. The owners of the depot's first business, Blackbird Station, featured a full day of guest artists and vendors to augment their own gift and art lineup. There was also live music. The parking lot stayed full the entire day, and Julie and Karen deemed the opening event a great day. Stay tuned for more photos, coming soon.

We Have Doors!

2010-09-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

Local carpenter Kelly Phillips (that's Kelly amidst the sawdust to the right) was busy again today installing the doors between the freight room and the hallway. Very good progress and the doors look great. Now to finish some of the walls to do justice to the doors. Kelly is picky about how things go together and had quite a challenge with some of the old door mechanisms. But the vintage doors, salvaged from the Genesee School, open and close like they were custom fitted to the depot. This is a great step forward for the building, and is also a boost that restoration is still moving forward.

Pictured above is one of the doors installed, this one leading from the bathroom hallway into the stairway area. With the doors in place and working well, it is now time to think about the stairway area itself. After seeing how nice the waiting room floors looked once they were sanded, it would be interesting to see what could be done with the well-worn stairs.

A Little More Progress at the Depot

2010-08-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Doorways are ready for doors now. Pictured above is the view looking into the hallway.

Below Jim West and Jack Coyner survey their handiwork.

Things must've gotten too quiet for Jim, the project manager for the current phase of depot interior restoration. Thinking he'd spent too many weekends at home in Coeur d'Alene, he once again opted to spend his weekend pounding nails in Potlatch! Wrangling Jack into helping --or at least offering moral support --Jim tackled the door openings between the hallway and the freight room. In a candid moment, Jim admitted that he figured this would be a quick job, but as often happens in 100-year-old buildings, the construction wasn't quite predictable. He'll have to explain it more in detail to those interested enough to ask, but suffice it to say, the quick job turned into a couple of days of measuring, sawing, pounding---and sometimes ripping out! Thanks Jim for staying with the project. Now, any volunteers ready to hang the beautiful doors that were salvaged from the Genesee School? Things will look great once these doors are in place.

A visit with Malcolm Renfrew

2010-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Malcolm is pictured above at the Potlatch Library during the library's
10-year anniversary, which was celebrated during Potlatch Days in July.

*Recently HPG Secretary Barb Coyner had a chance to interview Malcolm Renfrew, well-known chemist and University of Idaho professor emeritus. Malcolm grew up in Potlatch and has always treasured his roots in the company town, as shown by the generous donation he sent earlier this year for the depot restoration project. The following interview appears in the current Potlatch Historical Society newsletter.

   Malcolm Renfrew was young when Potlatch was young. The City of Potlatch celebrated its centennial in 2005, and Malcolm will celebrate his 100th birthday on October 12, 2010. In the meantime, the retired University of Idaho professor hasn’t forgotten his roots. He was and still is a Potlatch boy at heart.
   Born in Spokane, Malcolm MacKenzie Renfrew moved with his family to Potlatch in 1923 after the Potlatch Mercantile recruited his father to work in the renowned company store. “When my father was offered the job, the Merc was the merchandising marvel of the times,” Malcolm recalls, noting that the semi-annual sales brought people from all over the region to Potlatch to shop. Malcolm’s dad enjoyed a certain amount of prestige in town, serving on the three-man school board with Allison Laird and Walter Humiston, both Potlatch Lumber Company executives.
   Malcolm clearly remembers the day he and his brother Edgar moved with their mother by train from Colfax to Potlatch. The train excursion itself proved an adventure for Malcolm, 12, and Edgar, 7, as their mom navigated the different rail lines, finally boarding the WI&M at Palouse. One big change for the boys at Potlatch was the library. “There was no library in Colfax, so this was the first library I’d been in and it was full of good books,” Malcolm recalls.
   Among Malcolm’s favorite memories of growing up in Potlatch was playing the trombone with various dance bands from around the area. Did he play Riverside? Indeed he did. “That was when Haywire Hanson was boss there,” Malcolm says, explaining that they called him “Haywire” because he fixed any mechanical problems with haywire. As for playing sports, Malcolm lettered in football. “But that was ridiculous,” he says. “I only played in one game and that was against Elk River.”
   The Renfrew parents placed a big priority on their sons attending college and saved for it. After graduating from Potlatch High School, Malcolm attended the University of Idaho. The college president was of the opinion that students should explore different classes in their first two years before deciding on a major. That was fine with Malcolm and he enjoyed the class variety, finally settling on chemistry because a favorite uncle had graduated from Washington State College with a degree in chemistry. Edgar chose physics, although he eventually got into analytical chemistry. While at college, Malcolm was coaxed by fraternity members from WSC and UI to introduce them to the resident bootlegger in Onaway, hoping that Malcolm could also confirm that the guy wasn’t a federal agent.
   In 1932, Malcolm earned a Bachelors of Science Degree, and finished a Masters Degree in 1934, eventually earning a PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1938. He also married Carol Campbell of Rosalia in 1938. His earliest career was with DuPont, where he was credited with helping in the development of Teflon. Malcolm clarifies that he made a speech on behalf of DuPont when Teflon was unveiled and ever since, many have erroneously credited him as being the inventor of the famed non-stick substance. He does, however, have a patent for developing a manufacturing process for Teflon.
   Malcolm and Carol spent a great deal of time in New Jersey during his career. But he never forgot his Idaho roots, admitting that he and Carol stayed up each New Year’s Eve until it was officially the new year in Idaho before going to bed. When the chance came to join the faculty at UI, Renfrew gladly headed west. “I felt being at the University of Idaho was the ideal job,” he says now. The feeling must’ve been mutual because the UI eventually named a science building after him.
   In his nearly 100 years, Malcolm Renfrew has traveled the globe and lived life to the fullest. His wife Carol passed away in January and his brother Edgar died in April, and these days he resides at Good Samaritan Village in Moscow. Clearly there is still a strong interest in talking about the place that shaped so much of his life—Potlatch, Idaho.

*A further note that HPG Historian and White Pine Route author Tom Burg was recruited to the University of Idaho by Malcolm Renfrew. Tom writes the following:
Malcolm is the guy who recruited me to Idaho - I hope I have repaid it a bit. I have a little story about that, probably mostly on me, but thought you might enjoy. I applied to about a half-dozen grad schools my senior year at Wilmington College (Ohio), and received offers from all. I applied to Idaho becaue my advisor at WC was also a U of I grad and knew Malcolm, and recommended it. AS the year went on, by close to the deadline I had narrowed the field to U of I and Rice University in Houston (a pretty prestigious school, if I do say). Both offers were about equal, and I had to make a decision. On a Saturday I was sitting around my dorm room trying to, and was paged for a phone call. It was Malcolm - head of the department at U of I. He talked me into Idaho - mainly because he cared enough to make the personal contact. About a month later, Malcolm was attending an American Chemical Society conference in Pittsburgh, PA, which coincided with our spring break, and I was visiting a then-girlfriend who lived in Pittsburgh. We set up to have breakfast at one of the downtown hotels. All sorts of images of this 'Mountain Man' from Idaho came to mind - maybe some giant of a man who would come in and order half-a-dozen eggs, ham, bacon & sausage, potatoes - you get the drift. Well, you know Malcolm and can envision how out of kilter that vision was from the real man - a 'two poached egg' guy. But he was a neat guy, and I was glad of my decision. By the time I arrived in August, Malcolm had gone on a year sabbatical, so Elmer Raunio was interim department head. I was fortuunate to get out of town with my MS at the end of August and into the Bureau in September - but didn't get to see him again until years later when I visited U of I doing research for WPR.

Depot Attracts State Recognition

2010-07-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Idaho State Historical Society Board of Trustees and ISHS Executive Director Jan Gallimore paid a visit to the Potlatch Depot, escorted by State Historian Keith Petersen and wife Mary Reed. The group, representing the entire state, toured Latah County sites on Friday, making stops in outlying communities such as Troy, Genesee, Deary and Potlatch. Clearly they enjoyed the Depot and Blackbird Station, and several made purchases from our new tenants. Pictured in the photos are top, left to right: Judy Meyer (Coeur d'Alene), Jan Gallimore, Keith Petersen, Tom Blanchard (Southern Idaho) in front of the cabinets bought with ISHS grant funds. Bottom photo shows HPG President Jack Coyner talking to the group about depot restoration funding. All in all it was a wonderful time with a very enthusiastic group!

Speeder Day Best Ever!

2010-07-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Forgive us if we overdo the superlatives, but the 7th Annual WIM HPG History Days speeder and music event ranks as our best ever. Lucky Number 7? No, credit divine intervention for the weather, dedicated volunteers for the muscle to make it happen, the generous speeders for their unwavering support. And credit the people, some who travel from as far away as California and Tennessee, for supporting this one-of-a-kind event. The speeders supplied the sold-out supply of rides, Jim West brought in the great sounds of the Hog Heaven Big Band, the Junior Jammers, Noi and Friends and his great assortment of musicians, and Mo Bandy and Ion Cafe dished out the great food. Thanks to Potlatch City Clerk Debbie Perry, the caboose tours were enjoyed by many, and the HPG store keeper Brian Magelky kept sales humming at the Company Store. And of course the great group from the Potlatch Historical Society decked out the freight room, giving a preview of things to come with the planned museum. Special thanks to Don States for coming all the way from Montana to direct the loading activities on the platform, and to Bill Taylor for organizing the speeder group. Event chairman Don Somers as always had something new, this time trips to Palouse, to give the event a freshness. Not to be forgotten, the great team for US Bank supplied ticket sales and the Palouse lunch as their team donation. And Blackbird Station, the new business at the Depot, showed off just how great the Historic WIM Depot can look.

The pictures above show just a hint of the wonderful day, and reading top to bottom, here's a rundown of what's pictured: top 2 photos show speeders in action; loading platform expert Roger Farrell all decked out in his conductor attire, taking a break with cousin Josie from Seattle; Dave Nice, veteran crossing guard, stands ready to protect the main depot crossing (never easy, given that our event happens on the same day the dump site is open!); Scenic Six Park crossing guards David Johnson and Bill Herrmann, chat with membership chairman Ken Vogel who comes all the way from Winlock WA to help; Jon Wheaton finally gets his speeder ride after missing last year's event (Jon bid a generous amount at the Latah County Historical Society's silent auction, then returned to bid at the HPG silent auction for a ride to Moscow on Sunday); honeymooners Nick and Jenna Garrett of North Carolina enjoy a speeder ride two weeks after their wedding and beautiful reception on Moscow Mountain; Mabel Vogt and her wonderful Junior Jammers entertain the audience at the Bennett Boxcar Stage; Michael Riley is all smiles after his ride to Palouse and back (Michael, wife Diane and sons Steffan and Will did the long ride to Palouse, got lunch, took in the art walk and some shopping before the return ride); Earl Bennett, District 1 Representative for the Idaho State Historical Society, takes the longer ride to Palouse with wife Carol (Earl and the ISHS board will be back next Friday to visit the Depot as part of the North Idaho tour).

All in all, a perfect day and HPG members thank everyone who helped make the event great! If you aren't an HPG member, think about joining. This is clearly an organization that makes things happen!

They're Here!!!!!

2010-07-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

The speeders rolled into Potlatch yesterday afternoon, and just as Bill Taylor promised, there are 17 lined up on the tracks, with an 18th speeder arriving after registration closed down for the day. The Potlatch to Palouse rides are the hot ticket and with this latest head count, there might be room for even more rides. Historic restoration guru Doug Wasankari and wife Melanie showed up scouting for tickets, and Idaho State Historical Society board member Earl Bennett got in right under the wire. The girls at US Bank said there was a flurry of ticket sales, so we hope that means lots of happy riders for Saturday. Meanwhile at the freight room, Potlatch Historical Society set up its sales and exhibit areas, and Company Store manager Brian Magelky had the HPG all lined out for its sales. Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr have railroad themed art at Blackbird Station, as well. And pictured above is Jim West tidying up the caboose for tours on Saturday. With the HPG board meeting at 1 pm today, it is a full line-up of activities for the board members in town.

More Milestones

2010-07-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our new tenant Blackbird Station did their soft opening last week (that's Julie Kerr, left, and Karen Rohn out in front of the "open" sign, and Karen seated at her easel) and said their first couple of days were very good. Note that Kenny Cada (left in bottom photo) and Michelle French from US Bank came to shop on the first day. What a dream sheet to have the north end of the downstairs actually civilized and available for tenants! Some 15 years have passed since we first began this idea of rehabbing the depot. Jim West estimates that our latest efforts amounted to 8,000-plus hours of volunteer time.

As we approach the weekend, don't forget the big day is Saturday. Plan to come out and listen to the Hog Heaven Big Band, ride the speeders, shop at Blackbird Station, tour the "Black Widow" locomotive and WIM caboose, and dine. We will have music going all day on the Bennett Boxcar Stage, and displays in the freight room. Call US Bank (208-875-1351) if you are interested in pre-sale tickets for speeder rides. DON'T MISS JULY 10 AT THE POTLATCH DEPOT!!!!

Introducing Blackbird Station at the Depot

2010-06-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Depot's new tenants Julie Kerr and Karen Rohn are getting ready to open for business and the shop looks very nice. Karen has created some great posters and Julie's line of gifts is inviting. Today some of the residents of Good Samaritan Village in Moscow will stop by for a visit, and hopefully among them will be Malcolm Renfrew, who grew up in Potlatch and went on to become a renowned scientist.

Meanwhile the preparations continue for our July 10 speeder event, with Jack and Don wielding the weedwhackers, Brian and Aaron concentrating on trim and finishing touches in the hallway, and Barb doing general cleanup. Brian is starting to set up the Company Store, and displays in the freight room will be rearranged. So much to do--always. Still hoping for a few more volunteers, but glad that Webb French and sons and Dave Brady have stepped forward as our latest recruits. One new item for speeder days is the uncovering of the caboose so we can have it available for visitors. We also have the Idaho State Historical Society wanting a tour of things the day before Potlatch Days. And did we mention that W&I Railway President Stan Patterson has pledged the arrival of the SP "Black Widow" just in time for speeders? Oh and the Hog Heaven Big Band will be belting out tunes on speeder day too. This band is top notch, so bring your dancin' shoes on July 10.

The Speeders Are Coming--Count Down to July 10

2010-06-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

7TH ANNUAL WIM HPG RAILWAY HISTORY DAY AND SPEEDER EVENT

JULY 10 9 am to 5 pm, dinner in evening

Speeder Rides

Music on the Bennett Boxcar Stage

Hog Heaven Big Band and other bands

Mo Bandy's Barbecue (Dinner Tickets on sale for $12)

Washington & Idaho Railway's "Black Widow" Locomotive on exhibit

Historic WI&M Caboose available for tours

NEW BUSINESS IN THE DEPOT: BLACKBIRD STATION AT THE DEPOT

Hand-crafted gifts, art studio, event posters

Silent Auction for Sunday Rides to Moscow

New Roundtrip Rides Added between Potlatch and Palouse

Presale Tickets Now available at US Bank in Potlatch!

$45 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under PRESALE PRICE

$40 for adults, $20 for kids on the day of the event

Presale tickets guarantee you a ride

Show up at the Potlatch Depot at 9 am to purchase tickets the day of the event

First Come First Served

Shorter Rides between Potlatch and Princeton

or Potlatch and Kennedy Ford

$15 for adults, $10 for 12 and under PRESALE PRICE

$10 for adults, $5 for kids on the day of the event

First Come First Served, Tickets on Sale at 9 am in Potlatch

New Palouse Rides

Some Round Trips Available from Palouse to Potlatch

Tickets on sale at Palouse RV Park at 11 am July 10

First Come First Served

Also shorter rides in Palouse between 11:15 am and 1:15 pm

$5 for adults, $3 kids 12 and under

All tickets in Palouse available the day of the event--No Presale

Tickets on sale from 11 am to 1:15 pm

at Palouse RV Park

All children 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult

Join us in Potlatch for a tour of the newly rehabilitated main floor interiors and the exhibits in the freight room. Also don't forget to check out the new business Blackbird Station at the Depot!

Depot Provides Sentimental Journey

2010-06-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ted Runberg (pictured above looking at photos in the freight room) came to Potlatch yesterday to revisit some of his roots and decided the depot should be his first stop. Having grown up in the rural Potlatch area, Ted knew the depot well, and he used to offload automobiles for Stapleton Motors as they came in by train. He also delivered milk and cream as a teen. Ted's interest in the depot goes beyond memories however. He's an advocate for restoring significant historical buildings, and his son Brian recently restored the Beardmore Building in Priest River. Working with his son in promoting Priest River as both a good hometown and worthwhile tourist stop, Ted feels Potlatch offers the same amenities. As he toured the new Blackbird Station at the Depot, he mentioned that the Beardmore Building had similar retail appeal and they'd installed a wine bar there, as well. He wondered if the same type of business could work at the depot. He says the wine bar in Priest River is only open from Thursday to Saturday, but that it's well patronized and popular, drawing people that don't always do the tavern scene. Food for thought as the Depot gains traction as a new business in town.

Bovill Run, Speeders...Fun at the Depot Continues

2010-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

First, to clear up some confusion from the last posting about the Bovill Run. Jim West called this morning to chide me that I hadn't mentioned a stop at Bovill in the post. Well, yes, we did stop at Bovill, and no, I didn't get tangled up in the taverns! Bovill was indeed a great stop where we had lunch, listened to a good talk about the old days, compliments of Bob Denevan, then toured around town with Becky Kellom, past Bovill mayor. Overall, we are getting very positive feedback on the New Bovill Run, sponsored by the Latah County Historical Society. According to Earl Bennett, one of the tour guides, there will be another New Bovill Run in the fall.

Now we turn our attention to the Annual Speeder Event, scheduled for July 10 at the Depot.

7th Annual WI&M Ry HPG History Days

Potlatch Depot Saturday July 10

Speeder Rides, Music and Food 9 am - 4 pm

Jim West has been busy lining up music for the day and has the HOG HEAVEN BIG BAND as part of the action at the Benx boxcar stage. Jim has also secured a promise from W&I Railway President Stan Patterson that the Southern Pacific "Black Widow" F-Unit (Pictured above with Don Somers and Stan Patterson on the loading platform) will be on display. This is great news for railroad buffs. Blackbird Station at the Depot will also be open, as will the evolving museum in the freight room. With Don Somers currently riding the train back from the Milwaukee Road Historical Association's annual meeting, the team will be ready to go for the upcoming preparations and festivities. HPG Director Tom Burg coordinated the MR event, but will unfortunately not be here for speeder days this year. Tom has been generously sharing WI&M artifacts and memorabilia with us lately in preparation for the new museum, and we appreciate that. Tom, we will miss you on the loading dock this year!

One last piece of info. I am meeting with Ted Runberg at the Depot today, because he is curious to see how it looks. Seems Ted grew up in Potlatch, worked at the Depot unloading cars for Stapleton Motors in the old days, and now resides in Priest River where he is active in civic affairs. I met Ted when I went to Spokane last fall to accept an award for Jack from the Inland Northwest Partners, compliments of Paul Kimmell of Avista. Paul has been a Depot backer from the start and chose to honor Jack for his early work in getting Depot restoration in gear.

New Bovill Run Puts Depot on Route

2010-06-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

Mention "Bovill Run" around Latah County and most people shake their heads knowingly, though most hasten to add that THEY never went on the Bovill Run. The legendary drinking ritual was common among locals and college students, challenging participants to down a beer at each tavern on a loop from Moscow to Bovill and back again. The Bovill Run made for lots of good stories, and yesterday 50 people added their own re-enactment of the run, sans the drinking. The historical tour, dubbed The New Bovill Run, was sponsored by the Latah County Historical Society, with buses provided by Idaho Roadrunners. Earl Bennett and John Mix provided the running narrative on the trip that went from Moscow, to Potlatch, to Deary, then on to Troy before completing the loop at Moscow.

At Potlatch, the big focus was on the recently improved Potlatch depot, with displays in the freight room, thanks to the Potlatch Historical Society and HPG. Janice Vowels Johnson, a Princeton native, provided colorful memories of growing up around the company town, while Barb Coyner talked about the depot history and more recent HPG efforts to rehabilitate the 1906 structure. As people toured the depot, they were impressed by the countless volunteer hours and beautiful results, with most remarking on the stark changes to the floors. Our new tenants, Julie Kerr and Karen Rohn, threw out the welcome mat, offering a sneak preview of Blackbird Station at the Depot. Some stopped to buy Karen's commemorative poster of the Bovill Run, and many vowed they would be back for speeder days and the grand opening of Blackbird Station. All in all, chalk up a positive review for our new and improved depot and the New Bovill Run! And volunteers, take a bow for making a huge contribution to the history of the Company Town! By the way, many on the tour expressed an interest in seeing the gymnasium across the street restored. Now if only we could find some rich relative willing to take that on.

Small Visitor Tours Depot

2010-06-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Things are looking good at the depot, despite the rain in Potlatch. Julie Kerr and Karen Rohn are now official tenants in the waiting room and ticket office, having signed the lease yesterday. Welcome Blackbird Station at the Depot! Now the fun begins as Julie and Karen add stock, arrange the rooms, and plan for the grand opening. They will offer a sneak peek during the New Bovill Run on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, another little visitor--a banded pigeon--got a sneak peek of the freight room as Barb put up historical exhibits for Saturday's tour. Barb will be joined by Janice Johnson as official tour guides for the Bovill Run group. And Karen will have her neat posters on display, specially priced for participants. Here's hoping there's good weather in store for Saturday, as the Potlatch City Wide Yard Sale also takes place that day. It's another good reason to be in Potlatch, so stop by the depot and say hello as you're hunting for bargains.

Little Annoyances Impede Progress

2010-06-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

We're posting a photo of the depot during the locomotive move in 1989 as a reminder of just how far we've come in efforts to restore the historic Potlatch depot. As interior work winds down on the north end of the building, it's the petty stuff that seems to creep in. Like the door between the ticket office and the hallway being off 1/8 inch. This was just enough to postpone moving day for Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr as they seek to open their new business BLACKBIRD STATION (at the Depot). Brian Magelky, one of the HPG board members and a steady volunteer these past three months, remembers our optimism that this interior should only take three weeks. Yeah, right! Things never go according to plan, but if the HPG had known three weeks would become three months, would members have ever stepped forth to move ahead? Likely not. But now on June 13, it appears Karen and Julie can start moving in their inventory.

Giving credit where credit is due, here's a review of the team that has brought us to this point: Jim West, project manager, has been in Potlatch nearly every weekend, putting up sheetrock, hammering, measuring, doing everything but enjoying weekends at home with his family. Sometimes he brought his family, including wife Becca, daughters Tori and Delaney, brother Mike West, and sister-in-law Barb West. Then there's HPG vice-president Brian Magelky, who has driven out from Moscow nearly every weekday and most Saturdays, as well, sometimes bringing son Aaron, a proud HPG member. Brian is a skilled cabinetmaker so tackling the uneven and rough construction in the depot has taxed his patience at times, but he's been a steady and appreciated presence. Then there's past HPG president and current treasurer Don Somers who has been on the ladders, patching holes and improving the walls, and doing whatever else has been necessary. That contribution is huge. Current HPG president Jack Coyner faithfully tended to insulation chores on the second floor, sacrificing a pair of glasses in the whole effort. He's ridden herd on electricians and plumbers, coordinated efforts with volunteers and tenants, and covered a variety of other construction chores not exactly in his line of expertise. This group of volunteers has been the backbone of getting things done. Additionally, Karen Rohn, Julie Kerr and Mike Bryngelson have thrown in countless hours of sweat equity on behalf of Blackbird Station. In a nutshell, we defied the experts who said we needed a half million dollars to get things shaped up in the interiors. The monies left over from the 2007 redo paid for electricity and plumbing, insulation, phone service, and all kinds of building materials and fixtures. We're not done yet, but this week Blackbird Station can finally move into new quarters. We wish this venture every success! And thank you for bearing with us as the HPG steps into uncharted waters as landlords. Volunteers in this case probably never thought this would be one of the duties!

The End is in Sight! New Beginnings Ahead!

2010-06-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

The train came through today. And a visitor stopped by from Anacortes, telling Brian and Jack about the days his mother lived in Palouse and rode the train to Potlatch to take music lessons. She'd stay overnight at the music teacher's house, then ride the train back to Palouse the next day. Later she was considered so good at piano and organ that she played for the silent movies in Palouse.

What a great day to be in the depot, listening to stories from the past and hearing the train whistle as the locomotive headed to Princeton! It's those moments that make all the work worth it. Once again today Brian worked on the trim and doors, as Julie wielded the paintbrush. Meanwhile Jack has been steadily holed up in the freight room, working on the endless to-do list there. Last night Jack tested the outdoor lights and found they lit up the place just fine. Progress! With Karen filling the outdoor planters with soil and lugging in more display items, it is feeling more and more real that the depot will soon be alive with business. Blackbird Station at the Depot Coming Soon!!!!!!

Tying Up Loose Ends

2010-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

And Jim wonders why his knees hurt. As project manager on this phase of depot rehab, he's been the main worker, horsing sheetrock around, nailing up beadboard, and doing whatever it takes. Most days he enjoys help from Don, Brian and Jack (Aaron, Tori, Mike, Julie, Karen, and Mike and Barb West too), but this weekend was a solo performance. Jim also brought the bus depot sign, a wooden beauty that will look very nice on the outside of the depot. We are getting there, and next week Julie and Karen should be moving in, once Brian hangs the last door. The doors are looking good, by the way. And thanks Jim for giving up another weekend when you could've been outside in the nice weather. We appreciate all your efforts and talent.

On Track for Upcoming Business

2010-05-27T16:40:00.001-07:00

Sometimes progress at the depot is as slow as the W&I Railway's F-Unit chugging into Potlatch (pictured above with Don Somers out to greet Joel King in the locomotive). But there are some new happenings. Yesterday Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr met with Jack and Don to review terms of the lease. And phone service was installed. That means the new business --Blackbird at the Depot --is closer to moving in and opening its doors.

The word is also out that the speeder rides in Palouse will be a new addition to the fun this year. No presale tickets for the rides, but speeders will be on hand on July 10 from 11 am to 1:30 pm, with ride tickets being sold at the Palouse RV park. The tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for 12 and under, with a route going between the park and E Street. It's a great event for Palouse and a good option for parents wanting to take the kids on their first ride-the-rails excursion.

Saluting some of our steady volunteers

2010-05-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

If you are one of the many dropping in at US Bank in Potlatch to buy pre-sale speeder tickets, you will recognize Carol Cooley, one of our most loyal volunteers. Carol helped spruce up the depot for the speeders last year and the year before (that's her pictured last year cleaning every window on the lower floor!), thanks to the US Bank community volunteer program. Carol and branch manager Kenny Cada also take on the duties of selling pre-sale tickets for the speeder event. This is no small job, especially when the tickets sell out quickly for some of the rides. We can never thank these ladies enough for their enthusiasm, accuracy and care in helping us with the big event coming up July 10!

As for progress at the depot, it still often feels like things will never be done. Shane Bartlett was busy working on the wiring again today, and Jim West took another day of leave from his job in Coeur d'Alene to keep chipping away at drywall installation and the like. I don't know how we can ever thank Jim enough for his dedication as Project Manager. He has given his all, and we hope and pray his back holds out after all the punishment he gives it! Not to be forgotten are the almost-daily contributions of Don Somers, Brian Magelky and Jack Coyner. Tomorrow Verizon shows up to hook up phone lines for Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr's new shop BLACKBIRD AT THE DEPOT, and the WIM HPG, which will share a line with the Trailways Bus service. That makes it seem like the enterprise is actually for real.

Coming Up!

2010-05-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Tickets went on sale yesterday for the July 10 Speeder Event and already almost all the presale tickets are sold for the extended Palouse ride. People are reminded that there's lots to do in Potlatch that day too. Jim West, our Depot Project Manager, doubles as an outstanding musician and he and the Two Dollar Bills will be on stage during the speeder activities. Other bands will be there as well. In the not-too-distant future, the Benx boxcar will be moved farther down the track to a new location with covered seating. Not this year, but hopefully next year, speeder fans and musicians will have a whole new venue. There's a lot that goes into each speeder event and we thank Don Somers and Jim West for heading up the weekend activities. Visit the blog often to see what's happening with the HPG ... and consider joining the WIM HPG, an organization that gets things done!!!!

More Progress

2010-05-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

Sunday found Jim and daughter Tori working on the platform in the freight room (pictured above), and Mike Bryngelson putting the final coat of finish on the temporary floor in the ticket office. Once again, Jim brought daughters Tori and Delaney along to put some sweat equity into the building, no small sacrifice considering the West family could've been boating on Lake Coeur d'Alene or something like that! Thank you Jim for giving up so many weekends for the non-paying job of "project manager" at the Potlatch depot. It is gratifying to know that Tori, Delaney and Aaron Magelky, members of the younger generation, are also invested in the history of the railroad and company town. And Mike is a new convert to the project, as well. We appreciate all of you volunteers.

Work and More Work

2010-05-16T07:39:00.001-07:00

It's always helpful to look backward when the work goes on and on! The photo above is from 1996 and shows then-mayor of Potlatch Scott Kammeyer with Potlatch Elementary School special education teacher Cindy Braun. The two were touring the old WIM depot with an eye toward getting the building restored. Scott kicked of the pursuit of an ITD grant and Cindy had her gifted and talented class reviewing depot history and writing reports.

Fast forward and the depot is no longer faded gray, and thanks to plenty of sweat equity, the interiors are coming along, as well. Architects estimated that interior work would require perhaps a half million dollars, but devoted volunteers have logged over 1000 hours of donated labor in two months, and $35,000 just keeps on stretching. We have electricity and plumbing, fresh paint, restored floors and a long list of other civilized conveniences in the north end of the downstairs. There was a set back last week as the building inspector asked us to replace the sheetrock with commercial grade, but we also had a volunteer stop by who is a professional sheetrock hanger. He has volunteered some hours for the future. With interiors coming together, future tenants Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr are getting ready to move in. Stay tuned. And be sure to review past postings on this blog to learn of the upcoming Speeder Event and other noteworthy accomplishments at the depot!

Speeder Ride Tickets Go On Sale!

2010-05-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

It's official! Speeders come to town for rides on July 10-11, and reserved tickets are available starting Monday May 17 at US Bank in Potlatch.

The fun begins on Saturday July 10 at 9 am and routes include round trip to Princeton or Kennedy Ford for $15, or $10 for 12 and under. If you buy on the day of the rides, tickets are $10 round trip, or $5 for age 12 and under. RESERVE TICKETS GUARANTEE YOU A RIDE AT A SPECIFIC TIME!

New this year is a great excursion to Palouse, Washington, lunch in the park, shopping along Palouse's fun Main Street, then a ride back. The route includes passage along the Palouse River and some very nice scenery. That trip departs at 10 am from Potlatch and boards in Palouse at 1:30 pm for the ride back. Fare is $40 for this round trip, with ages 12 and under going for half price. Reserved tickets available at US Bank starting May 17. While round trip riders enjoy Palouse's amenities, shorter rides will be offered around Palouse from approximately 11 am to 1:15 pm. Stay tuned for further announcements as details are worked out.

Poster above courtesy of Karen Rohn, who will be opening a shop in the depot in the near future.

The Work Continues

2010-05-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Work continues on the depot and this weekend the focus has been on replacing the worn parts of the floor in the ticket office. Thanks to Jim, with some help from Don and Jack, there's a new chipboard insert that will be sanded and finished by Jesse Glassman next week. Meanwhile, Karen and Julie painted some pleasing dark gray on window frames to make a great look in the waiting room, and Brian and Aaron are staining the doors. Lookin' good guys!

The Fun Never Ends

2010-04-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Jim West sent along some photos of last weekend's work "party" at the depot, showing the dedication of the HPG volunteers. Julie Kerr, pictured on the left in both waiting room photos, did seem to look like an alien as Karen Rohn decked her out for masking and painting duties. And yes, it does appear that HPG President Jack Coyner is loafing while chatting with Becca West in the hallway. Don't let the photo fool you, however. Everybody is working hard in the later stages of interior restoration and the building is almost ready to occupy. Once Julie and Karen move their shop in, the rest of us can focus on what to do with the freight room as we contemplate development of a museum. By the way, thanks to partnering organization Potlatch Historical Society for kicking in another $1000 to keep restoration work moving ahead.

Heading Toward the Finished Look

2010-04-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

The transformation is exciting! The waiting room has fresh paint and looks great, thanks to the diligent work crew that put in another long weekend. The goal was to get as much painting done as possible before Jesse Glassman (pictured above with his sander) of Country Hardwoods came in to sand and finish the floors. Talk about transformation. The sanding is turning up the actual color of the wood under those 100-plus years of grime and foot traffic. Jesse will be working his magic all week as the floors get the redo.

On a separate note, Barb got back from Boise yesterday after delivering a PowerPoint presentation on the depot restoration to the Idaho Association of Museums annual conference, held at Nampa this year. With about 40 museums represented from around the state, it was clear that preserving depots is a hit with the museum crowd. The focal point for the walking tour was the beautifully restored Nampa depot (red brick depot above). As if that wasn't enough depot immersion, Boise staged its second annual Depot Day, featuring the capital city's attractive depot (white mission style depot above). One of the displays outside the depot was an ATV with rail wheels on it, making the ATV into a high-railer (I can imagine Jim West's mind is moving on this novel idea). The wheel package, called the Bandit, is the brainstorm of Jeff Shiverick (pictured with the ATV) and Steve Davisson of Boise. Jeff promises to get us more info as the product is patented. He says he and Steve came up with the idea when neither of them had the cash to buy a speeder.

Speaking of speeders, the Idaho Association of Museums loves our speeder event and people at the conference enthusiastically cleaned out every handout I brought! Museum director Ginny Woodward of the Boundary County Museum in Bonners Ferry stopped by on her way back from the museum conference to tour the depot with Jack. With that kind of interest, we hope to see Ginny back for a speeder ride July 10 (Ginny, if you're reading the blog, I'll buy your ticket!).

Modern Amenities!

2010-04-06T17:04:00.001-07:00

We have a new flush toilet in the depot (that means the guys won't have to sneak out between all those railcars in the future!). And two spiffy new heaters that really warm up the room on these chilly days. Thank you Webb French (plumbing) and Shane Bartlett (electrician). In the volunteer efforts, Don Somers forges ahead with patching walls and other necessary cosmetic work. Jack Coyner, meanwhile, keeps on keeping on with the grubby insulation work. He has now come about half way and it seems that the waiting room is toastier. Let's hope so. By the way, the photo above is a page out of the past. Notice where that Potlatch sign is located. One day perhaps we shall have the depot sign moved from the little depot in the park to where it really belongs! Who wants to talk to the mayor?

A Day of Rest

2010-04-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

There is no end to the list of to-dos at the depot as the interiors take shape. Don Somers, top photo, has done an amazing job of patching holes in the walls, climbing on and off ladders to nail and fill. Much of the time, there has been no heat in the building and temperatures outside have been chilly, so this is not easy work for the faithful volunteers. Barb and Mike West (that's Barb working and Mike supervising!) donated a whole day on Saturday to sweeping up, nailing in support for insulation and doing various other necessary jobs. And Jim West and Jack Coyner worked steadily on pulling up the hallway floor upstairs in preparation for insulation. Jack is pictured taking a break from wearing a mask and stuffing insulation between floor joists (bottom photo). There is likely a good pair of eyeglasses somewhere in that insulation after Jack's glasses inadvertantly slipped from his pocket and weren't discovered missing until later. If they are ever uncovered, will they be deemed an artifact?

Sunday -- Easter -- will be a welcome day of rest! If you add up the volunteer hours from the HPG, it is stunning. And Monday many will hit the ground running again!

Bus On Time--and that's no April Fools!

2010-04-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

The big blue Trailways bus rolled into Potlatch right on time, kicking off the new bus service that can take area residents north to Spokane and Coeur d'Alene or south to Lewiston and Boise--and ultimately points beyond. For now the bus will load on Pine Street across from the bank, but in a matter of weeks, it will be serving the Potlatch Depot! Imagine leaving your car behind when it's time to catch a flight at Spokane (one way $19). Or leave the driving to Trailways when it's time to go to Boise (under $100 roundtrip!).

Agency Supervisor Charlie Neill was on hand to monitor progress on the maiden voyage this morning, and driver Barry Coe (pictured above) took time to pose for a photo, although he was watching his clock so he wouldn't be off schedule. These guys are sharp--and fun. The bus rides should be great.

Check with US Bank for times and prices. The bus schedule and fares will also be posted at the depot soon. Check the company websites at www.northwesterntrailways.com or www.appleline.us for further info.

Take a Virtual Tour of the WI&M

2010-04-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, all aboard WIM fans, this is your chance to take a virtual tour of the historic WI&M line, thanks to our esteemed historian Tom Burg (pictured on right above, next to speeder, with Roger Farrell on the left)! Just hit on the www.wimryhpg.com link on this blogsite, then when the HPG website comes up, choose the "virtual tour" option on the right hand side. This is fun so be sure to try it out. And thanks Tom Burg and Tom Hillebrant (our webmaster) for making it happen.

Meanwhile, down at the depot, the pounding and drilling continue, thanks to our diehard band of volunteers Brian Magelky, Don Somers and Jack Coyner, with Jim West coming from Coeur d'Alene today. Shane Bartlett, local electrician, has us wired now, with insulation coming soon. Brian tiled the bathroom floor (looks great Brian) and is now working on insulation and ducts, Don is patching the multitude of holes, and Jack is removing lathe and plaster upstairs. Yesterday Department of Commerce rep Hank Ebert toured the depot with Aimee Shipman, the new county grant writer. The excitement and progress continue!

website

2010-03-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

For the readers who follow this blog, please visit the official website of the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway History Preservation Group at http://www.wimryhpg.com/ for more information on the group and its activities. The HPG is involved in a variety of pursuits to keep the local railroad history alive. Please consider becoming a member as a means of adding your support. With everyone pulling together, the depot will be a hub of community and economic development and an encouragement to area historic preservation efforts. Memberships start at $30 and include the always informative White Pine Quarterly, plus merchandise discounts. Also mark your calendars for July 10, 2010 when the speeders return to Potlatch!

Work Continues at the Depot

2010-03-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

The progress at the depot almost causes a case of whiplash, it's moving so fast. Pictured above is John French, our faithful carpenter from Deary, who repaired some of the sections of flooring in the waiting room and ticket office. Meanwhile, Shane continues to get the electricity in and Brian, Jim, Aaron, Don and Jack have all done stints on interior improvements. Karen Rohn and Julie Kerr have been amazing and yesterday tackled cleaning the walls in preparation for painting. John's dad Webb will be working further on the plumbing and who knows who else will show up to help. We value the can-do attitude of everyone who takes a turn with the project.

Meanwhile on Saturday, the new slate of officers was elected:

Jack Coyner, President

Brian Magelky, Vice President

Barb Coyner, Secretary

Don Somers, Treasurer

Kenny Cada, New Board Member

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Mr. Deary!

2010-03-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

The old Irishman William Deary would've been proud. As a co-founder of Potlatch, Idaho, he was one of the first occupants of the Potlatch depot, designed as the first headquarters for Potlatch Lumber Company in 1906. Today, the depot was again alive with activity. Interior work and supportive infrastructure activities were in full swing with both volunteers and contractors pitching in.

It was a smiling bunch this St. Patrick's Day (was there some Guinness stashed away in the freight room?). Pictured from the top are: Shane Bartlett, our faithful electrician and model train nut; HPG board member Jim West (in plaid) pondering floor options with hardwood floor specialist Jesse Glassman; Karen Rohn, artist, future tenant and very capable carpenter; HPG board member Brian Magelky and son Aaron, in the fashionable hardhat; Julie Kerr, businesswoman, future tenant and top-notch caulker; Doug Wasankari, earth mover and historic preservationist. Thanks one and all. Things are looking good.

The Rundown Depot is Now History

2010-03-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

As the crew of volunteers and professionals hammers away on the Potlatch depot interiors this week, it's fun to look back a dozen years. Pictured above are Scott Kammeyer, then mayor of Potlatch, and Cindy Braun, then in charge of the gifted and talented class at Potlatch Elementary School. These two joined a number of others as they toured the rundown depot to see what might be done to rescue the town's first commercial building before it was lost forever. The route to restoration was not an easy one and backers of depot restoration were publically criticized. Cindy's class delved into depot history and the kids got excited about the railroad. And Scott put out a call to write some grants. Today those early-day dreams are being realized as the depot interiors are being upgraded. Look for pictures of a new bathroom, a freshly painted waiting room and other improvements. Dreams are coming true!

Things Are Happening at the Depot!

2010-03-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Picture if you will a finished interior at the Potlatch depot. Tom Burg sent along a sample of how a finished space can look (the recently restored Mineral Point depot in Wisconsin). Meanwhile, the bottom photo shows Brian Magelky, left, and Jim West, right, getting started on the downstairs, north end.

Now picture being almost half way done with the current phase and that's where we are . The bathroom, kitchen and janitor's closet are framed in, Deary plumber Webb French is installing

plumbing, local electician Shane Bartlett is doing the electrical, Karen Rohn is ripping and tearing up floors, Don Somers is patching walls, Tom Cummings pitched in to take out old pipes, and Jack Coyner is carting off the building debris. Brian and Jim are the steady carpenters and during spring break, Brian's son Aaron is also involved. This is a team effort all the way and things are moving fast.

Tune in to the blog to see some later shots including the recently exposed brick wall around the downstairs vault. Beautiful!!!! There will likely be competition for who gets this office space.

Passenger Service in Potlatch

2010-01-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

It's interesting to look back on earlier times when passenger cars occasionally plied WI&M tracks (see photo above, furnished by the late Lee Gale). As we look at more mass transit options in today's world, it's worth recalling that once people routinely rode trains and got to a number of out-of-the-way places. "The Bug" was of course widely used in Potlatch, taking passengers, mail and cargo up to Bovill or over to Palouse. Palouse enjoyed a wide variety of passenger services, and at one point, seven roundtrips per day were offered between Palouse and Spokane. As the WIMHPG continues to restore the historic depot at Potlatch, several locals have mentioned using the building as a real depot again, offering bus service between Potlatch and Moscow/Pullman. With some 80 percent of local residents traveling to the university towns for work, such bus links could make sense--and cents for those tired of piling miles on their cars. The big question: would people use the bus? If you are reading this blog, please post your thoughts on this matter.

Pop Quiz Answered?

2010-01-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

Brian Dysart logged a comment on the above photo which we have sought to identify in previous posts. He suspects the machine is an old regulator because of the blades on the side. The photo, previously published on the blog in color, was at work on the tracks near Bovill. Thanks Brian for your comment.

Log Car Safely Delivered

2010-01-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Our historic log car hitchiked into Potlatch behind the W&I locomotive this morning and is now safely located next to the caboose at the depot. We're amassing quite a collection of history for the town. Thanks to the railroad and Jeremy Leiterman for once again helping us, and to Don Somers for the top two photos. The third photo down shows the car being cut loose from the engine. Good thing the brakes worked as it rolled onto the siding.

On hand to watch the events was Steve Adlard (pictured with Don Somers), a die-hard railfan from Camas WA who thought he'd hit the mother lode when he saw the engine moving through town. Steve is involved with steam power groups, Timber Times and other historic rail organizations, and has attended speeder days in Potlatch. He's bought land at Santa and plans to retire to the area in the near future. A new HPG member?

Kendrick Depot Slated for Demolition

2010-01-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

(Pictured above is the Kendrick depot, photo by Preservation Idaho)

In a note from Sharon Harris this morning it was announced that the Kendrick depot is slated for demolition on January 12. Sharon and a number of others rallied to save the Kendrick depot, proposing several ideas. Although the mayor didn't support the project, he has indicated that the city would be open to some other project that highlights Kendrick's significant railroad history. This movement has been interesting to watch and the enthusiasm from the group again demonstrates that railroad history is popular. At the same time, the depot had issues that the Potlatch depot did not have, namely that the second story of the building had been removed, altering the original structure. The depot's architecture was similar to other depot architecture and occasionally other depots were altered in much the same way as depot agent living quarters were removed. We hope in the future that the Kendrick rail history fans can find a way to work together to create some sort of lasting tribute to the railroading history in that town. See the group's blog http://savethedepot.blogspot.com/ for more background on this subject.

More from Bovill

2010-01-08T17:47:00.001-08:00

Like the last post, this one includes a photo from Becky Kellom, this time given to her by long-time Latah County resident Bob Denevan, who now lives in Lewiston. The photo, from around 1955, shows the railroad water tower Potlatch built, drawing water for it by putting a pump and water line into Potlatch Creek. The Potlatch shops are in the distance to the north. Thanks for sharing, Becky.

Identification Please?

2010-01-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Now that it's been confirmed that Tom Burg's train trip west has been annulled due to poor weather, perhaps the WIM HPG Historian can identify the bottom photo, forwarded to us by Becky Kellom of Bovill. She wasn't clear what the machine was or what it did, so now we leave it to the expert. Tom?

New Year Brings Time for Reflection

2010-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

While rummaging through some files of more recent Potlatch history, it appears we might have missed an anniversary of sorts. The October 19, 1989 issue of the Boomerang recites details of the moving of Old Number One earlier that week. The historic WI&M locomotive had been a fixture in front of City Hall, but it was decided that the 90-tons of steel would be better placed in the newly-evolving Scenic Six Park.

What a day to remember! As dozens of volunteers lined up to do the work, two lowboys waited at the depot. The idea was to lay some track, roll the engine and its tender onto the trailers, then drive them across the flats to the new location. There was a lot of skill, determination and savvy in the crowd that day and watching the action provided plenty of entertainment. Although the mill had closed for good just a few years earlier, it was clear that the community spirit was alive and well. Brains and brawn made the move successful and Old Number One has been a centerpiece at the Scenic Six Park ever since.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

(Both photos above courtesy of Rolland Meyers. The top one was shot in the summer of 1997 and the bottom one on 7-16-07. Both feature the St, Maries logging trains and a glimpse of what our recently-acquired log car was used for in its heyday.)

It has been a good year for the HPG and we've had two "Christmas" presents as of late: a caboose and a log car, both true artifacts of the WI&M Railway's history. The HPG's mission has mostly focused on preserving the Potlatch depot, but the goal is also to give tribute to the WIM's successful and colorful history as a short line.

We came across an interesting article in the August 31, 1972 issue of the Daily Idahonian, entitled "WI&M Ry. Chugs Ahead to Profit." It noted that the railroad "reversed its long history of red ink, and last year a dividend was paid for the first time." Neal McKellips, the short line's auditor and co-manager along with Bill Lemke, said higher freight rates and improved railroad practices led to the turnaround. The article also mentioned that the line at that point leased its engines from the Milwaukee Road and boxcars from the Burlington Northern or Milwaukee Road, depending on destinations. McKellips admitted that having the Milwaukee Road logo plastered all over the engines presented the WI&M with something of an identity crisis, so he had some magnetic signs made to cover the Milwaukee Road logos. A photo accompanying the article pictured Old Number One in front of the depot, with an explanation that the locomotive was later sold to the City of Potlatch for $1 and had since become a tourist attraction.

A Glance Backward

2009-12-23T15:50:00.001-08:00

Rolland Meyers has been hitching rides on the STMA for the last 20 years and has filmed the line extensively. He's sent some photos our way to show how things looked in the past when long log trains chugged out of the back country. Chances are, many of the cars pictured have already been dismantled for scrap. Thanks to Rolland, however, we now have one of the historic cars for the HPG. Next week, Stan Patterson and the W&I Railway will hook the log car to the Bennett shipment and bring it up the line to the depot. Hopefully we can get some photos of that.

HPG Saves log Car from Scrap Heap of History

2009-12-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

With a caboose and the Benx car already in WIMHPG ownership, it does look like the HPG is out to amass a whole railroad. Today, thanks to volunteers from Jack Buell Trucking and Bennett Lumber Products, a 1940s-era log car was delivered to Princeton. The log car, once under Milwaukee Road ownership, was trucked from St. Maries to Bennett Lumber, and will ride the rails sometime next week to its new home by the depot, thanks to the Washington and Idaho Railroad. We appreciate Rolland Meyers getting the ball rolling on this project. With the St. Maries Railroad in the process of scrapping all 476 of its flat log bunk cars (see photos above, taken at the St. Maries scrapping operation), Rolland managed to get one for the HPG. According to Jim West, 230 cars have already been dismantled for scrap, but this one has been spared as a piece of logging and railroad history.

Many thanks are in order on a project like this. Jack Buell Trucking, with Frank Buell doing the hauling. Ed Katus was the point man at Bennett Lumber, with Jeff Iverson running the large Bennett crane, and Dean Beyers and Carroll Stephenson assisting with the off-loading procedures. And last, but certainly not least, thanks to the St. Maries Railroad and Potlatch Corporation for donating the car! Such donations are no cheap date and we appreciate the help and encouragement.

Scrapping photos courtesy of Jim West.

Caboose Bundled up for Winter

2009-12-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

The temperatures have been single digit and it was timely that the caboose was moved safely last week. Once again Doug Wasankari and crew went the extra mile, helping HPG folks wrap this great piece of WIM history. Granted, it is isn't as flashy as showing off the rail car, but the tarp will prevent further deterioration until we can restore X-5.

In the meantime, Jim West sent another batch of photos of the move, some of which we display now for our readers. Notice Don Somers leading the parade---literally. Don was a real stalwart, staying out in the cold with crews throughout the move. And Jim broke free from all his Boise meetings to be there for some help and good photos. Jack too attended when duty called, and among the three, all expressed relief that the caboose is finally in place.

Moving Fragile Caboose a Job for Experts

2009-12-03T18:42:00.001-08:00

You don't just pick up a caboose and move it. That was made clear as the precision team from Wasankari Construction did their job to keep the wooden car stable for its move. Offloading the caboose from the lowboy, jacking it up so the trucks could be put underneath, and stabilizing it through each phase required patience and know-how. Pictured taking an infrequent break are Rob Morgan, Teddy Bailey and Alan Shepherd, all long-time employees for Doug Wasankari. Also pictured are members of the HPG who joined the Wasankari team to move the trucks into place.

Caboose Move Inspires Memories

2009-12-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

As the caboose pulled into Potlatch on Thursday, past WIM employee Scott Winther stopped by to watch (Scott is pictured in the blue jacket as Jack Coyner and Don Somers join him). Both Scott and his dad were railroad men, and Scott remembers bunking a few times in cabooses when his shifts prevented him from going home. He said one of his coworkers would put on a pot of stew at Potlatch, and by the time the train pulled in at Bovill, Scott had dinner ready.

As Jim West (in orange vest) and Jack Coyner toured the caboose, both were impressed at how much of the interior was still intact. The caboose interior design seemed the model of efficiency with its woodstove, refrigerator, bunk, viewing area and storage.

Caboose Arrives in Potlatch

2009-12-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

A piece of history rolled into Potlatch today as Wasankari Construction safely transported a vintage WI&M Railway caboose from Farmington, Washington to its new home next to the Potlatch depot. The bright red cargo arrived around 11:30 am.

According to HPG Historian Tom Burg, the caboose was built by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1909, and sold in 1955 to the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway, along with another caboose. These replaced WIM cabooses X-1 and X-2, which were retired, and the newly acquired cabooses were painted yellow and lettered in black as X-4 and X-5. In 1962, the Milwaukee Road took over the WIM ownership, and the X-5 was subsequently painted orange with black lettering to match the Milwaukee Road locomotive colors. Both cabooses went into retirement in 1969, with the X-4 becoming a cabin on Lake Coeur d'Alene. The X-5 went to Gene and Connie Rambo's where Connie used it for her ceramics hobby.

Following posts will follow, telling more about the caboose and the move....

Caboose Ready to Travel

2009-12-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the target date to move the WIM caboose from Gene and Connie Rambo's farm in Farmington, Washington to the depot property in Potlatch, so there was much prep work to get the little car ready. Ever faithful, President Don Somers arrived early to remove the plastic and do other prep work before Doug Wasankari and his able crew showed up. These guys are a precision team and it's fun to watch each step, from raising the caboose up high enough, to backing the lowboy under it. Fractions of inches count in this game.

The day was sunny but chilly and Connie spent time visiting with Don, Jack and Barb before doing her afternoon school bus route. She said Jim West had phoned from his meeting in Boise to check on the progress. When son Ryan joined the gallery of spectators, we learned just how long the caboose has been at the Rambo farm. Connie recalls that Ryan was about 8 or 10 when the car was brought in, and Ryan is now 47, so do the math. Although the caboose is paint chipped and in need of restoration, it appears basically very sound. Doug has chosen the route via Yellow Dog to get the cargo safely to Potlatch.

Today's photos show Doug and his crew jacking up the caboose, then loading it on the lowboy. Notice that the painted lettering identifies the caboose as X-3 instead of X-5. We will give more historic details from Tom Burg in the future.

More photos tomorrow....

Caboose on Its Way Next Week

2009-11-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

After much talk, word has it that the WIM caboose will finally move to its new home by the depot next week. The caboose has belonged to Gene and Connie Rambo of Farmington for years and they've graciously donated it to the HPG. There have been a number of false starts on getting the caboose to town, but this time seems a go, if the weather cooperates. HPG President Don Somers invites anyone wanting to prep the caboose for the move to join him on December 2 for a trip to Farmington. Actual moving takes place Thursday December 3, with Wasankari Construction of Moscow doing the honors. The attractive new sidewalk in Potlatch has already made our depot restoration even more of a standout. Now to tackle the caboose.... Stay tuned for updates and photos! And thank you Jim West for staying on top of this project for the HPG.

Pictured in the photo are Gene Rambo, Don Somers and Jack Coyner back in June 2008 when the trucks were moved to the house track by the depot.

Who Rides the Speeders?

2009-07-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

The busy speeder weekend is past, but it's always interesting to hear people comment on their first speeder ride. They are already talking about next year!

So who rides the speeders each year? Many locals from the greater Potlatch community, such as EMT Chrissy Luther and son Sean, show up. And out-of-towners, such as Ward and Linda Pletcher from the Bellingham area, make the trip. Also, grandparents like Latah County Historical Society Director Dan Crandall (that's Dan with his grandson) appreciate the nostalgia, as do history buffs such as Keith Petersen (Keith wrote the book Company Town), Mary Reed, Steve and Chris Talbott. Then there are the folks that are planning on next year's speeder rides, like Daily News reporter Hillary Hamm and her boyfriend Daniel Ryan.

Speeders Help the Depot...Again!

2009-07-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, the Pacific Railcar Operators bring their speeders to Potlatch each year at their own cost to help fundraise for the depot. The speeder rides have made Potlatch quite popular each July, thanks to PRO. And the funds have kept the HPG moving ahead toward complete restoration and new life for the historic Potlatch depot. Now we find that PRO has given another $340 to the depot. We can only say thanks again PRO--we couldn't do things without you!

More Speeder Pictures

2009-07-16T12:04:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Roger Farrell for the photos on the previous posting, and thanks to Don Somers for some of these.

Speeder Event Recap

2009-07-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

First things first. The speeder event is about dedicated volunteers. The speeder owners themselves volunteer their time, speeders, and money to help us promote the depot. The musicians also volunteer time and talent. And then there is that well-oiled machine of volunteers who prep for the event, scrub the depot, set up displays, sell tickets, load riders and monitor speeders so that the public has a quality experience. We will post only a fraction of the photos showing our volunteers at work. If there is any pay for volunteering, it is the smiles, appreciation and overall enthusiasm for this annual event. Job well done, gang!!!! Many thanks.

(Top Photo) Faithful crossing guards Kirk McMichael (left) and Jim Evermann take a break after guarding the crossing at the Scenic Six Park. The park stayed busy all day due to the Wooden Bat Tournament. Several baseall players came to ride speeders again this year.

(Bottom Photo) Roger Farrell (left) kept activities on the loading dock running smoothly, while Tom Burg kept tabs on the ticket sales. Roger said this was his best event yet. And Tom did a great job of standing in for our usual ticket agent Ken Vogel.

Speeders Hit the Mark

2009-07-12T08:11:00.001-07:00

Nearly 20 speeders again came to support depot restoration and plenty of riders from around the region (even from as far away as Bellingham and Australia) came out to ride the rails. The railcar operators remain enthusiastic about sharing their hobby with the public, and the HPG can never properly thank them for their generous donation of fun each year. Not to be forgotten are the many volunteers, the musicians and concessionaires who help make this annual event a major success. Look for more speeder pictures in the future.

US Bank again partners with HPG

2009-07-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

At the semi-annual board meeting Friday, the HPG again received a generous donation of $3200 from US Bank. The check was presented to HPG President Don Somers by bank branch manager Kenny Cada.

POT-latch, here we come

2009-07-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

White Pine Route author Tom Burg arrived from Wisconsin and was part of the welcoming committee at the depot today. Typically, he had to get in front of the camera and do something memorable.

They're Coming!

2009-07-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

First to arrive in Potlatch with their speeders were Jerry and Karen Wagner of Eagle ID. This is their third year of coming to support the depot and they're excited to share the speeder experience with riders on Saturday. In this photo, Dave Cada, city councilman from Potlatch, helps Karen and Jerry unload their speeder. Incidentally, Dave's parents made their first home in the depot.

Sparkling Windows

2009-07-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Notice those sparkling windows at the depot? Thank Carol Cooley of US Bank for all the sweat equity on this one. Carol helped the depot last year and was back with her same enthusiasm this year. She cleaned all the downstairs windows inside and out, and probably would've done the upstairs windows as well if the ladder had been tall enough! Thank you Carol!

Waiting for the speeders.....

2009-07-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Only one week until the speeders come to town! Presale tickets go on sale Monday July 6 at the Potlatch branch of US Bank. Presale tickets let you choose your time and guarantee a ride, so it's advised that you get those tickets early. You can also get tickets for the Saturday evening barbecue with Tyler Renz serving up some of his original favorites. And don't foget that the Bennett boxcar stage will have music starting at noon. The Potlatch Historical Society, the HPG and the Latah County Historical Society will all have new displays, so check them out in the freight room....

Speeder Riding Tips

2009-06-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

If you plan to ride the speeders in Potlatch on July 11 or 12, we post the following background and tips for a safe and fun experience:

Thank you for your speeder (motor) car ride ticket purchase. Below are a few tips and recommendations to enhance your experience riding the rails.

· The ticket(s) you have purchased indicate the ride departure time on the reverse side of your ticket. Please be present on the depot platform prepared to board your ride at least 15 minutes before your departure time.

· Please follow the instructions given by the platform and boarding personnel. Do not attempt to board your car until instructed to do so.

· Speeder cars by design have limited seating capacity. Every effort will be made to accommodate your group in the same car. However, due to the fact that most cars are unable to seat more than 2 persons in addition to the operator you may need to be split up. (We will not know until ride day which cars and capacities are available.)

· Children 8 years of age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (16 years of age or older) and ride in the same car.

· Wear sturdy footwear. Walking along the rails to board and to turn your car at the end point can be quite rough.

· No smoking or consumption of alcohol is allowed while on board or for the duration of your ride.

· The owner/operator of your car is a member of Pacific Railcar Operators, an organization of railcar owners that enjoy riding on various railroads throughout the Northwest. Each operator has volunteered to provide your ride at his/her own expense. Please take a moment to express your thanks to your operator for the opportunity to have this experience of riding the rails.

· Proceeds from the sale of tickets are used by the WI&M Railway History Preservation Group, an IRS 501c3 non-profit organization, for preservation and restoration efforts of the Potlatch Depot and other projects.

· Above all, be safe and enjoy your day with the WI&M HPG.

· THANKS AGAIN for your support.

Getting Ready...

2009-06-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

With the two-week countdown begun, Don Somers and Jack Coyner have been out weed whacking around the depot. There is no shortage of weeds to whack and no shortage of work!

Meanwhile, Jim West, daughter Tory and her boyfriend Jarred got the curtains hung in the boxcar in preparation for the music event. The blue velvet curtains are a perfect enhancement for the Bennett boxcar stage and everyone should be ready for some great bluegrass music and even some dancing! Thanks again to Troy High School for the donation of the theater curtains!

The Speeders Are Coming!

2009-06-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Speeder presale tickets available July 6

The 6th Annual WI&M Railway HPG History Days are slated for July 11 and 12. With keen competition for speeder car rides, presale tickets will again be available this year, guaranteeing rides at specific times. The presale tickets, on sale at US Bank (Potlatch branch) starting July 6, will be $15 for adults and $10 for age 12 and under.

Tickets purchased at the depot on the day of the event will run $10 for adults, and $5 for age 12 and under. Those tickets will be on a first come first served basis.

This year’s ride options include trips from Potlatch to Princeton, and from Potlatch to Kennedy Ford, with speeders starting the rides at 9 am. A silent auction will be conducted on July 11 for longer excursion rides to either Marshall WA or Moscow.

In addition to the speeder rides, there will be bluegrass and fiddle music on the newly painted Bennett boxcar stage from 11 am to 6 pm. There will also be a food court featuring Tyler Renz’s barbecue lunches and drink sales by the Boy Scouts. The Extra Fare Barbecue by Tyler Renz will be Saturday evening with tickets priced at $10.00 for adults and $6 for 12 and under. The barbecue tickets can be purchased ahead of time at US Bank or at the depot.

Inside the depot freight room, visitors can view the historical pictures and displays provided by the Potlatch Historical Society and the Latah County Historical Society, and railroad themed products will be for sale at the Company Store.

Plan to attend the full day of family activities!

Jim West Accepts the Award

2009-05-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the official photo of Jim West accepting the Take Pride in Idaho Award at Sun Valley:

Karen Ballard, Administrator of Tourism for the Idaho Dept. of Commerce is holding the award, a photo of Sun Valley with a brass inscribed plate on the frame inscribed for “Governor’s Pride in Idaho Award for Historic Preservation – Potlatch Depot Restoration Project”. [Photo Credit: Idaho Tourism]

The official list of winners can be found at:
http://commerce.idaho.gov/assets/content/docs/ICORT/Take%20Pride%20in%20Idaho%20Awards%20Presented%20at%20Idaho%20Conference.pdf

An excerpt of the note today from Jim after returning from Sun Valley:

... when I gave my short speech on the importance of the depot that was no longer noticed, a structure that had housed the Potlatch Lumber Company offices which established the Weyerhaeuser/Laird/Norton group of Midwest lumberman’s move into the northwest, which led to the development of Boise Payette (Boise Cascade) and Weyerhaeuser, two companies, along with Potlatch, that became the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, both Earl Holding and Wally Huffman, [37 year] owner and [32 year] manager, respectively, of the Sun Valley Resort, nodded in agreement. I found their attention to my words very encouraging.

When the depot project slide show was introduced before I spoke, Ron Gardner, the emcee, put in a plug for us about needing money to complete the depot’s interior, and I reiterated our willingness to accept donations, large or small. I concluded with a request that all the luncheon participants open their eyes a bit more when they returned home after the conference, to look at their familiar surroundings with a more objective eye, for they, too, might have an unpolished gem awaiting notice in their own home town.

One humorous side note. I didn’t realize the award was a secret, so I let the cat out of the bag when I was introduced to our northern region representatives. When I told them why I was there, they gave a startled “whoop!”, then covered their mouths, since they had no idea our region was receiving an award! To their credit, and my relief, they pretended to be surprised when the time came for the “official” announcement.

The presentation was very nice, emotionally uplifting and rewarding. We are seldom acknowledged for preservation work, so I found myself a bit emotional when speaking. The luncheon was fantastic. It was our first time to Sun Valley, and Becca and I enjoyed being there, if only for a few hours.

Jim

Depot Snags Statewide Award!

2009-05-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Potlatch depot received the Take Pride in Idaho “Outstanding Historic Preservation Project” Award at the annual Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism last week in Sun Valley. Past HPG president Jim West was on hand to collect the honor. The statewide recognition was first proposed by Angela Osborne of the University Inn in Moscow. The winner was then selected by a panel of judges from the Governor’s office, National Arts Commission, Idaho Historical Society and Preservation Idaho.

“The HPG wishes to thank the judges for this wonderful award,” said Don Somers, current HPG president. “Our thanks are also extended to Angela for her creativity in making the nomination.”

Depot Upstairs

2009-05-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

In today's posting, we see Holly Colvin's ideas for the depot upstairs. Holly, like Karen, envisions quality office space upstairs, with a conference room and break room as part of the mix. As an architect, Karen Owsley has focused on historic preservation, so she's retained the transoms and woodwork. Holly, as an interior design student, has done the same. The HPG has long felt that some of the historic features of the depot need to be preserved at all costs. Yet at the same time, most depot supporters want the building to feature more efficient heating and lighting. Note Holly's color schemes for the office space. She also has found some attractive light fixtures for use in the building. As in past postings, we encourage blog readers to comment on their own ideas for the depot.

More Depot Interior Ideas

2009-05-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Although most of the depot interior ideas have imagined the freight room as the new interpretive center, Holly Colvin designed the interpretive center in the waiting rooms at the north end of the building. It presents a completely different set of possibilities. Holly's designs were presented last week at UI and were done as part of a class taught by Shawna Corey. We are pleased to have such quality student input. Thanks Holly!

A Student's Ideas for the Depot

2009-05-09T11:03:00.001-07:00

Last week UI interior design student Holly Colvin presented her ideas for the depot interiors. The blog will show some of her work over the next few days in hopes that depot supporters will do their own thinking about possibilities for the interiors. In this post, Holly envisions the freight room as a coffee shop/internet cafe/used bookstore. The HPG has been fortunate to work with students from Dr. Wendy McClure's classes in the past and we thank Shawna Corey for keeping her UI classes involved. Holly's presentation shows that there is indeed community interest in this historic building!

At present, we continue to work with architect Karen Owsley from Moscow. Karen has been a long-time leader in historic preservation in Latah County and has served on the Latah County Historic Preservation Commission. In the future, we will be posting some of Karen's ideas as we go forward into the next phase of restoration of the historic WI&M depot at Potlatch.

Train Wreck

2009-05-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

In a previous posting in December, we chronicled the resumption of long grain trains out of Oakesdale. Since then, there have been more successful long trains along that stretch. But earlier this year there was also a derailment, and the wrecked cars and spilled wheat are still prominent just out of Rosalia. We thought readers of the blog might be interested in a picture. Meanwhile, we wish Stan Patterson and the W&I well as their trains ply the old WI&M line...

Students Present Ideas for Depot

2009-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

University of Idaho interior design student Holly Colvin thought the depot would be a great project for a class assignment. Her goal was to come up with strategies for the depot interiors, keeping in mind the community's needs and its heritage. Holly presented her designs and concepts May 6, with HPG members Don Somers, Jack Coyner and Barb Coyner in attendance. Libby Coyner, originator of this blog, also attended Holly's presentation.

Because the HPG has already been working with architect Karen Owsley on interiors, Holly's ideas presented a contrast. For starters, she moved the interpretive center into the waiting rooms, and used the depot office space as a headquarters office, gift shop and book store for the HPG. The freight room, in Holly's estimation, would make a wonderful coffee shop, complete with a used book store and an internet cafe. Upstairs, Holly stuck with the idea of office suites, a conference room and multiple-use space.

In an upcoming posting, we will show some of Holly's concepts, pictures and plans. She and other students from Professor Shawna Corey's class will have their presentations on display at the Prichard Gallery in downtown Moscow within the next two weeks. Stop by and take a look.

Big Train out of Oakesdale last week

2008-12-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday (December 9, 2008) we got a chance to see what Stan Patterson, the W&I, BNSF and the state have been working on for over 2 years. The W&I had been negotiating with BN since Sept 2007 to pull a longer train to Oakesdale (the usual grain trains have been 26 cars for the past couple of years).

Stan was determined to get some publicity for the momentous event, so some TV stations and newspapers lined the track along with several of the locals. It was a party mood as Jeremy Leiterman led the string of four BN locomotives, dropping off 43 cars at Spangle, 11 at Plaza and 56 at Oakesdale. Jeremy admitted that he enjoyed having that much power under his control, but the 6500-foot train wasn't the longest he'd ever pulled. 7500 feet was his record.

As the day wore on, Co-Ag employees raced the clock, with a tight deadline to meet. The 110-car train was to be back at Marshall on a 24-hour turnaround, with the cars of soft white wheat headed utlimately to Portland and onto the export market.

By the following day, Co-Ag general manager Jackie Tee reported that the trial run had come off without a hitch. The co-load experiment had been a success and there is hope for more long grain trains in the future. Hats off to Stan and Jeremy for their perseverance!

BENX Car Gets Its Facelift

2008-09-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ambitious past HPG president Jim West made good on his promise to apply elbow grease to the BENX car to get the new paint job done before winter. No doubt Don Somers and Jack Coyner found him to be a slave driver (see photo above) as the three fiddled with stencils, cutouts and the like as they endeavored to restore the car to its original livery. The outcome, however, is worth the effort!

Thanks to Nathan Vowels, the car was power-washed earlier, then Rez Painting of Moscow kicked in a generous reduction in rate to apply the basic blue, and Columbia Paint sold the $70/gallon paint at a good discount. Thank you, local businesses! And thank you Potlatch Recreation District for some of the seed money to get the venture started. Rec funds repaired the doors, with the HPG doing its share by selling T-shirts and scale models of the car. Most of all, thank you Frank Bennett for once again being generous in the community!

As to some background, the 56-foot BENX 182 is the last Thrall-Door car of over 180 boxcars that previously belonged to Bennett Lumber Products, which once ran the largest fleet of privately-owned boxcars in the state (the company also had 37 A-frame bulkhead flatcars in its fleet). The car was sidelined in 1992 when Bennett retired the fleet. Because the doors no longer worked properly, the car was rendered unfit to travel over the rails. Thus, it was banished to the side of the depot, where it sat idle and neglected for years. In 2000, Jim and fellow HPG member Tom Burg brain-stormed that the car would make a great portable stage. Jim, being a musician and member of the bluegrass band Two Dollar Bills, fantasized that the blue car would indeed be a great venue. They approached Frank Bennett with the novel idea.

Once Bennett sold the boxcar to the HPG for $1, plans quickly derailed for its restoration due to the more pressing project of restoring the depot. Yet Jim never forgot his promise to Frank Bennett to bring the BENX back to life. Frank Bennett showed his enthusiasm by donating some 55 percent of the funds for restoration. HPG has so far kicked in over 60 hours of volunteer labor to show the organization's good faith.

Of course the boxcar has already provided a stage for the bluegrass concerts that go hand-in-hand with the highly successful speeder event each year. And now that Troy High School has donated its blue velvet theater curtains to the HPG, plans are in line to hang them for a more complete stage look. Next comes a sound system. Jim hopes the venue will provide a good outlet for local talent such as up and coming garage bands and musical groups wanting a unique performing area to show off their skills.

Stay tuned....

More work.... this time with the boxcar

2008-09-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Benx car has been painted solid blue and now the real work begins. Jim West, Don Somers and Jack Coyner worked with Rez Painting to prepare the stencils for repainting the Bennett logo, and if you think this is quick work, you are wrong. The guys spent all day Friday preparing...and today there is more of the same. Jim especially is sacrificing his time as he drove down from Coeur d'Alene and now has another day working on the project. But this is his baby because our favorite performer needs a stage. Jim has also rounded up theater curtains from Troy High School and the navy blue color should really match the Benx car once it is fully repainted. When this project is finished, Potlatch performers will have a rolling stage, ready for musical and theater performances. Great for a small community!

HPG Member Profiled in Local Press

2008-08-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

HPG Vice-President Jack Coyner and the Depot were featured in the weekend edition of the Daily News, August 9-10. Nice article with three accompanying photos, and captions that mentioned the HPG. Thanks to reporter Mark Williams.

NEIGHBORS: Maintaining a heritage
Potlatch man helps preserve town's past
By Mark Williams, Daily News staff writer
Posted on: Saturday, August 09, 2008

As a young man growing up in rural West Virginia, Jack Coyner often dreamed that his future would lead him to the Pacific Northwest. Now he helps preserve the region's past.
Coyner, 64, is the current president of the Potlatch Historical Society, a group that not only chronicles the history of the former company town but also has recently worked to restore some of its historic structures.
"I guess I've always been interested in history, especially railroads. I just feel like it's really important," he said. "Especially in a town with a history like Potlatch. I just feel that to let it go is a big mistake."
Although Coyner has only been president since January, he has been a prominent member of the organization for its entire 10-year existence. Using bureaucratic experience gained from his 20-year career in the Forest Service, Coyner has put together much of the grant money the society has used for its projects, including the renovation of Potlatch City Hall and most recently the 102-year-old Washington, Idaho & Montana Railroad Company train depot.
"I guess of the things we've done, city hall and the depot are the ones I'm most proud of," he said. "A lot of grant money and a lot of people in the community pitched in to make those things happen."
Coyner said there is still much work left to do on the depot and hopes that eventually the building will be put to some sort of commercial use. But for now he is simply proud that the project has called people's attention to the history of the town and the building.
"I think it's helped people recognize their own history a little bit," he said. "When we first started working on this place we had an old-timer who said he'd help if we just gave him a can of gasoline and a book of matches. Now he's seen what we've done and recognized the value of it and is one our biggest supporters."
Coyner grew up in the rugged Appalachian coal mining country of Clover Lick, W.Va., near the Virginia border. As is typical of the region, Coyner said much of the area was poor with limited options for prosperity. He credits his love of the outdoors and the American West as a primary factor in his escape from a lifetime of coal mining.
"In an area like that back then, kids that graduated high school didn't have much else to turn to except coal mining. It's all old industry over there," he said. "I guess I was lucky that I saw beyond some of that.
"I always liked national forest lands and I saw on the map that out west was where they had the most of it and that's where I wanted to go."
Coyner has lived in Potlatch for more than 25 years after moving here from Kalispell, Mont., while working for the Forest Service and said he has become attached to the region.
"My wife and I sometimes have talked about going somewhere else and every time we think of places it always seems like it's hard to beat where we already are," he said.
Rather than move somewhere else, Coyner said he is content to do what he loves by helping Potlatch preserve its heritage.
"I like this because you just wonder what a town would look like if nobody cared or did anything," he said. "This gives you an opportunity to help."

Depot Serves as Town Welcome Mat

2008-08-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

It is always amazing to see how many out-of-towners stop at the depot to look around. Some say the've been past the building before and can't believe how things have changed. Today Bob and Arlene McDonald of Tacoma pulled up, fresh from a Milwaukee Road gathering at Three Forks MT. They were touring other railroad sites and had heard about the depot restoration, so they decided to check things out for themselves. Thankfully HPG member Barb was on hand to give them a tour and when Bob saw the antique rail drill (donated by Joyce Gilmore) in the freight room, he got into detail about how he'd used one in his early track maintenance days. He said if ever Satan had a torture device in hell, it would be that drill! In the future, we can interview Bob further about it as we develop our displays. Arlene also liked the colorful old safety sign. Clearly the McDonalds enjoyed the depot and their appreciation makes all the effort worthwhile.

On a separate note, it was interesting to see the progress on the interiors, thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers. The group took out the kitchen, removed the bathroom and cabinets, and also took out most of the wall between the men's waiting room and the passageway to the vault and women's waiting room. Thank you volunteers!!!

More Action at the Depot

2008-07-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

The speeder event, which furnished over 250 rides, ushered in a busy season at the depot. We had an encore weekend during Potlatch Days on July 19, with dozens of visitors checking out the displays in the freight room. Pictured above in front of some of the Potlatch Historical Society displays are Sue Benson (left) and Ida Courier, who gave a thumbs-up to the idea of a museum in the freight room. People lingered over pictures of old area schools, local veterans and other assorted memories, and several left with PHS items such as notecards, CD's and books. The book Company Town by Keith Petersen is no longer in print and PHS and HPG are both sold out on the popular book.

Potlatch Days also brought out a number of people after the parade, ready to sign on the dotted line to help with depot interior work. Happily Tom Cummings, a general contractor from Harvard, proved to be just the kind of volunteer we want and need. He's been busy assisting Don and Jack with removing plumbing, wiring and false ceilings. So far Tom has put in two days applying his professional expertise to the depot, and we can't thank him enough! That's Tom pictured working up a sweat upstairs as he bores into some walls to remove pipes. The work is dirty but necessary, and such community participation shows what the citizens can do to refurbish the 1906 depot.

Speeder Weekend Another Big Success

2008-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bill Taylor and the generous speeder group, there were 16 speeders on hand for the annual depot fundraiser, and that meant everyone got a chance to catch a speeder ride to either Kennedy Ford or Princeton. Ticket sales were brisk and a few ball players for the tournament at the adjacent baseball field even took a ride down the tracks. The pre-sale tickets had sold out and hourly excursions went out on time, thanks to the precision team of Don States and Roger Farrell who were back this year to manage the riders. Volunteers did a great job of maintaining safety at the track crossings, selling just the right amount of tickets, and mingling with the crowd. Potlatch Historical Society noted a great response to the displays in the freight room, making Bonnie Rohn more than a little excited about a new museum in the depot. What an amazing year since the depot was first jacked up for its facelift.

Speeders weren't the only game in town, and Jim West and Mabel Vogt kept the boxcar filled with good musicians all afternoon. Visitors like Harvard resident Porgie Knerr stayed most of the day, totally immersed in the music. Nothing like the Jammers and the Two Dollar Bills to keep a crowd happy. And for the hungry, Tyler Renz and the Potlatch Lions served up burgers and pork sandwiches all afternoon. Scout troop 358 did the cold drink detail, making the speeder weekend a truly community-based event!

Pictures from top to bottom: Dallace and Becky Kellom give their opion of the speeder ride.

Jim West and his crew from the Two Dollar Bills kept the audience in good music all afternoon.

Brian Magelky (foreground) and son Aaron kept the crossings safe for speeders.

Damian Kostuik (left) and Hal Van der Vord patrolled the depot crossing which was more congested than usual due to the Saturday morning dumpsite being open.

Model Train Experts Visit Depot

2008-07-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

With much of the deep cleaning of the depot out of the way, the WIM HPG members settled into a semi-annual board meeting on Friday. Appropriate to the occasion was the perfect interruption to all that deep discussion. Stan Patterson showed up with QSIindustries representative Kelly Dorf who had come to record sounds of the handsome Southern Pacific f-unit locomotive for future use in model trains. QSI is known for making quality encoding equipment, bringing model railroading into the high-tech era. Kelly was literally into recording all the bells and whistles of the W&I loco. And speaking of the locomotive, it rolled up in front of the depot next and engineer Jeremy Leiterman had Fred Severson, CEO of QSI, in the cab. The board visited with the guests, making the perfect break in the board meeting.

Pictured above in front of the depot are HPG board members Tom Burg, Jack Coyner, Carl Sonner, Lance Gallagher, Ken Vogel and Don Somers.

Fred Severson, CEO of QSI takes a stroll along the depot loading dock after his ride on the W&I line. That's W&I manager Stan Patterson in the background. Thanks Stan for sharing with us!

Combined Efforts

2008-07-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Potlatch Historical Society got a sneak preview of what it would be like to have a museum in the depot as members set up displays for both the speeder weekend, and Potlatch Days the following weekend. The freight room makes an excellent place to show off pictures and stories, and PHS members find this a meaningful way to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary.

Thanks to Donovan and Janice Palmer, Bonnie Rohn, Judi Rohn, Connie Manchester and Barb and Jack Coyner for setting up displays for PHS. And thanks to Don Somers for coordinating those efforts.