by Mark Borleske

The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons & Riders made an overnight visit Saturday, May 24, 2009 to
the old South Cle Elum Rail Yard last Saturday. South Cle Elum is just one
of many overnight stops for the horse group as they travel across Washington
on their namesake, the John Wayne Trail. The riders have been taking part in
an annual ride across Washington State on the route of the former Milwaukee
Road since 1981. This year, the ride started in Easton on Saturday and will
end up in Tekoa, Washington, near the Idaho state line, on June 6th.

The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders, and their namesake John Wayne
Pioneer Trail, are closely linked. In 1977, the Milwaukee Road went bankrupt
and in 1980, the railroad cut their service in the west. The group persuaded
the State of Washington to acquire the former railroad right of way as a
recreational trail. By 1981, the John Wayne riders were making organizing
their first ride, the initial one was from the Columbia River to Easton.
Since then, the ride has expanded and has been well-received by communities
and some ranchers and farmers who act as overnight hosts to the group and
provide camping space. The John Wayne Trail is now managed by Washington
State Parks as a part of Iron Horse State Park. Other portions of the trail
in Eastern Washington are managed by the Washington Department of Natural
Resources. Volunteer members of the John Wayne riders have spent countless
hours making improvements on the trail, to trailheads as well as locations
along the trail. In Spring of 2009, for example, volunteers have work
parties planting trees and cleaning up brush in the rail yard at South Cle
Elum. They also has a work party doing cleanup and making trail improvements
at the Thorpe trailhead.

On Saturday night, the riders were hosted by the Cascade Rail Foundation, a
volunteer organization which works with State Parks in managing the South
Cle Elum Rail Yard and the historic depot. Over one hundred people enjoyed a
steak cookout in front of the historic depot building.  On Sunday morning,
the riders were treated to a continental breakfast at the depot before
riding out.

As it was time to move on, the riders hit the trail, traveling east, with a
procession of horses and bicycles, moving at their own pace. Due to State
Parks recent closure of the tunnels on the John Wayne Trail, including two
in the Yakima River Canyon, Sunday’s ride was more like an excursion, out
and back instead of traveling on to the overnight destination at Thorpe.
Later in the afternoon, the riders broke camp and traveled with their
vehicles, horse trailers and horses and bicycles to Thorpe. In addition to
the overnight stays at Easton, South Cle Elum and Thorpe, the riders will
continue with stays at Kittitas, Renslow (I-90 Trailhead/Army West), and
Wanapum, on the Columbia River; all in Kittitas County. The ride continues
east of the Columbia River with visits to Othello, Warden, Lind, Ralston,
Revere, Ewan, Malden, Rosalia and ending in Tekoa.

The US Postal Service will have a special pictorial cancellation honoring the centennial of the depot at South Cle Elum. The postmark will be available by visiting Depot Days or through the mail. The postmark features a side view of the depot at South Cle Elum and includes the words:

MILWAUKEE ROAD STATION, Centennial 1909-2009, SOUTH CLE ELUM, WA 98943.

The postmark will be dated June 12 or June 13th.

A special cachet, or illustrated envelope for a postal cover will be available during Depot Days. The cover features a two-color map of the Pacific Coast Extension of the Milwaukee Road, from the Dakotas to Puget Sound.

The cover includes the words: THE MILWAUKEE ROAD,
PACIFIC COAST EXTENSION CENTENNIAL, 1909-2009. Two historic color logos of the Milwaukee Road are included on the cachet.

To order the cachet and special postmark, send payment and a self-stamped addressed envelope (SASE) to:

Cascade Rail Foundation

DEPT. RPO

PO Box 462

South Cle Elum, WA 98943

The covers are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.

The postal covers can also be purchased at the depot during the Depot Days event, Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13.

The South Cle Elum depot is the centerpiece of the South Cle Elum National Historic District. The depot rehabilitation of the depot was a project of Cascade Rail Foundation and Washington State Parks. The rail yard and depot are open for visitors and is a part of Iron Horse State Park and is an important historic site on the John Wayne Trail, which extends across Washington State.

Public Invited to Celebration!

The clock will be turned back to 1909 for a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Milwaukee Road railroad depot in South Cle Elum. The beautifully restored Milwaukee railroad station and the South Cle Elum Rail Yard Historic District will be the setting for Depot Days.  Events includes historic walking tours, visits with characters right out of 1909, silent movies, a working telegraph to send messages, a special post office for a commemorative postmark, refreshments and more. The festivities will be held Friday, June 12 and Saturday June 13 from 10 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. On Friday evening there will be a special showing of silent movies. A special feature of Saturday’s event will be reenactors from 1909 and live music. Admission to all Depot Days events is free to the public.

The depot will come to life as the click and clack of Morse code resounds from the telegraph office.  The authentic telegraph office will be operating and telegrams may be sent and received. Telegraph and communication equipment has been reconditioned and installed at the depot office just as it was in 1909. Morse Telegraph Club volunteers will demonstrate the telegraph and Morse code.

There will be a 1909-style reenactment in an authentic vintage setting. Costumed presenters will share their experiences of life in small town Cle Elum, on the railroad and as fashionable travelers making the train trip to Seattle to visit the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition. Cascade Rail Foundation volunteers and State Parks rangers will conduct tours inside the depot as well as out in the rail yard on an interpretive trail. Tours will be held regularly throughout both days.

A special  “Movie Night at the Depot” will take place Friday evening. The movie selection will include silent films from the turn of the century. The classic blockbuster hit of 1903, “The Great Train Robbery” will be featured. It is regarded as the first movie “Western”, even though it was filmed in New Jersey.  Other short silent films will round out the program.

On Saturday, music from turn of the century will be performed at the Depot. Enjoy the popular music of the era, including songs we still remember; In the Good Old Summertime, Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Give My Regards to Broadway were favorites of the era. You might even sing along to some old familiar tunes.

The US Postal Service will have a temporary post office, known as “Milwaukee Road Station” at the depot in South Cle Elum on both Friday and Saturday. The postal station will use a special pictorial cancellation of the depot with the words Centennial 1909 – 2009.

The Cascade Rail Foundation is offering a specially designed cachet envelope depicting a map of the Milwaukee Road Pacific Coast Extension from the Midwest to Puget Sound. The two-color envelope also features two logos of the Milwaukee Road, or the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound as the western extension was initially called. It can be ordered by sending $2.00 for one and $5.00 for three. Send self-stamped addressed  #10 envelope to Cascade Rail Foundation, Dept. RPO, PO Box 462, South Cle Elum, WA 98943. The commemorative postmark will available both days at the depot, a ticket window serving as a retail counter for the Post Office. Cachets are will also be sold at the depot during the event. $2.00 each, 3 for $5.00.

Inside the depot, a small museum will features the history of the Milwaukee Road and South Cle Elum in photos, vintage advertising, artifacts and stories.  Refreshments and light snacks will be available at the depot lunch counter during the event

Mark Borleske
Depot Days Chairman

Download a Free Printable Event Poster to Display

2009 Depot Days Poster (136)

Easton Telephone Shack Update April 2009 by Mark Borleske The Easton Telephone Shack project is finished. Roger Sackett continued his fine craftsmanship to complete the rehabilitation of the small shack. In addition to repairing exterior siding, painting, replacing windows and cutting down and installing a front front door. The finishing touch on the project was the fabrication and installation of the EASTON sign on the building. The shack looks good as new and serves as a tribute to the Milwaukee Road’s presence in Easton, Washington, some 11.6 miles to the west of South Cle Elum. Many thanks to Roger for taking the lead in this project and making it happen.

Looking south at the shack with Peoh Point in the background.

	“Before” – this photo was taken during the August 22, 2008 work party as the Easton Telephone Shack was being brought into place. (See more about this work party.)
	Looking east up the main line/Iron Horse State Park towards the Cle Elum depot. In the distance is the CLE ELUM station sign. In reality, Cle Elum depot and Easton were over eleven miles apart.
	Side view of the Easton telephone shack. The Milwaukee Road station sign was fabricated using the original EASTON station sign as a pattern. Looking east up the main line/Iron Horse State Park towards the Cle Elum depot. In the distance is the CLE ELUM station sign. In reality, Cle Elum depot and Easton were over eleven miles apart.
	The Easton Telephone Shack is completed. The craftsmanship and dedication of volunteer Roger Sackett shows in the results.