Work Party Report
Spring Cleanup at the South Cle Elum Railyard

On Friday, April 23, volunteers and State Parks personal worked together at a spring cleanup of the site of the rail yard, the interior of the substation and the historic depot. Volunteers from the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons & Riders, the horse group with is active in riding and maintaining the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, Cascade Rail Foundation volunteers, and personal from Lake Easton State Park all joined forces for a spring cleanup and doing something green to commemorate Earth Day as well.

We had an excellent turnout with Doug Schmitt, Sharon Schmitt, Nicole Schmitt, Zachary Schmitt, Terry Wade, Judy Westall, Ray Ewing and John Lidral from the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons & Riders. Representing State Parks was Ranger Tim Schmitt and Josh White, equipment operator from Lake Easton State Park. Cascade Rail Foundation volunteers included Mark Borleske and Bruce Reason.

The electric substation needed cleanup and Tim Schmidt and volunteers worked on organizing, consolidating and sorting material in the substation. This is in preparation of anticipated rehabilitation and renovation of the substation building by contractors.

Meanwhile, outside in the rail yard, John Lidral was busy operating his track hoe, cleaning out brush and debris from the rail yard and loading it into a dump truck provided by State Parks and driven by Josh White. By the end of the day, the dump truck carried seven loads of organic clean and green material for composting, a total of 11,940 pounds of material, nearly six tons! A load of debris weighing 1440 pounds was also taken to the transfer station.

Ray Ewing performed his chainsaw magic to trim back trees encroaching on the trail and manicuring other trees in the rail yard. Judy Westall, Terry Wade and John Lidral joined him in transplanting some eight trees to serve as a windbreak and a natural border between public and private property.

Meanwhile, members of the Schmitt family for their work on the Easton shack, with the substation cleanup and the overall cleanup out in the rail yard. The Easton Telephone shack, located on the right of way at the far west end of the yard, received some light maintenance and a damaged window frame was repaired and painted.

Bruce reason, president of Cascade Rail Foundation, was busy during the day, cleaning, painting and preparing the exterior of the depot for painting.

This was a most successful work party and a good way to celebrate Earth Day, perform a Spring Cleaning and continue to improve the grounds in anticipation of the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons & Riders annual ride. This year the John Wayne group will overnight at the west end of the railyard on Saturday, May 22 and ride out on Sunday, May 23. The Cle Elum stop is always a special and memorable event on the annual two-week cross state ride with the John Wayners.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

 

to the Annual Volunteer & Community Picnic

 

celebrating the 10^th Anniversary of the

 

Cascade Rail Foundation / Friends of the South Cle Elum Depot

 

Help us celebrate and let us say “THANK YOU” for

ten years of progress and improvements,

thousands of volunteer hours, and

the loyal community spirit of our friends and neighbors…

 

 

WHEN:  Saturday, October 10, 2009,   1:00 – 3:00 PM

 

WHERE:  

The Depot

801 Milwaukee Road 

South Cle Elum Rail Yard National Historic District

 

FOOD:

• Burgers and Hot Dogs provided by – and cooked by – CRF Board Members.     
• Beverages (water, soda, coffee) provided by CRF.
• Last names A-L  bring a salad to share
• Last names M-Z bring dessert to share

 

 

WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU CAN ATTEND !

CRF Board of Directors:

Bruce Reason, David Newcomb, Paul Krueger, Mary Pittis, Mark Borleske, Ray Horton, and Brian Lee

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 (76)

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.

by Mark Borleske, CRF Board Member

Cascade Rail Foundation (CRF) is celebrating a landmark year. The volunteer group first met in September 1999, an informal gathering of people interested in preserving some of the last remnants of the Milwaukee Road railroad facilities in Washington State. The focus of the group was to do something about saving the abandoned and derelict wooden depot. It was vacant and neglected for most of the 19 years since the railroad pulled up its track and abandoned the line. Support was enlisted in many areas and a group initially known as Friends of the South Cle Elum Depot was created.

Successes in fund raising donated or reduced cost contractor work and a tremendous pool of volunteer labor combined to rehabilitate the depot. This joint effort between a volunteer group and Washington State Parks serves as a model of cooperation. The transformation of the depot from a vacant derelict into a wonderfully restored showpiece is a testament to the enthusiasm, persistence, and effort on all levels to succeed.

While depot was undergoing rehabilitation, out in the rail yard an interpretive trail was developed. The trail offers a self-guided walking tour with 18 interpretive signs in the rail yard and features the archaeological ruins and remaining railroad buildings. A distinctive Milwaukee Road bay window caboose was moved to the rail yard. Museum displays were installed inside the depot and the depot office with an authentic working telegraph office. There are many challenges ahead for CRF, including moving forward with a rehabilitation of the brick substation next to the depot as well as renovate the inside of the caboose.

2009 is an important centennial year in South Cle Elum. In 1909, construction of the wooden depot was completed. It was also the year the Milwaukee Road completed its Pacific Coast Extension. At the time the Milwaukee was one of just two railroads offering direct single-line service from Chicago to the Pacific Coast Ports (the Santa Fe was the other railroad).  One hundred years ago, South Cle Elum was filled with activity as the railroad was being constructed, a town was being established and the railroad announced its plans for a yard, engine terminal and a crew change point here.

Looking ahead, 2009 will be a year of activity at the South Cle Elum Rail Yard Historic District.

On April 25, to honor Arbor Day, there will be a work party to do some tree planting, some landscaping and maintenance in the rail yard and on the interpretive trail. Individual volunteers as well as organizations and community groups are invited to participate.

On Friday June 12 and Saturday June 13, we will have a centennial observance of our depot as well as the opening of the railroad route from the Midwest to Puget Sound. The event, known as Depot Days, will turn back the clock to 1909, when the railroad was just open for business and the depot was completed. The event will feature a reenactment with presenters in period costume, a working telegraph office with an opportunity to send and receive telegrams and a post office inside the depot with a special commemorative postmark honoring the event. For entertainment there will be silent movies as well as music from the 1909-era. It promises to be a fun event and an opportunity to experience life 100 years ago.

On July 11, the rail yard will be the site of the second Brewfest. This is a fundraiser for Cascade Rail Foundation. It is an opportunity to enjoy the ambiance outside while sampling the finest crafted beers in the region. Washington State wines will also be available at the event. Rounding out the festive event with food and entertainment and games, this promises to be a fun-filled day for adults. For more information, visit the website: www.RailsToAlesBrewfest.com

As Cascade Rail Foundation enters its second decade, and the depot enters into its second century, we welcome you to visit, explore and participate in the events and projects at the historic depot and rail yard. We are proud to be continuing our mission to preserve Milwaukee Road history in a wonderful setting.

by Mark Borleske

Telephone Shack and Rail Yard Work Party

“Team work resulted in The Telephone Shack being successfully relocated to its new home. Thank you Roger, Mark, Doug, Ruben and his partner John Deere”, that’s how CRF President Bruce Reason summed up the work party of October 6th and October 7th. The purpose of the effort was to relocate a small railroad building, known as the “Easton Telephone Shack” from its location inside the substation ground to its permanent location along the former Milwaukee Road main line on the John Wayne Trail. Other work included planting trees for shade and windbreak near two memorial benches on the Interpretive Trail in the rail yard.

The work got underway when Washington State Parks equipment operator Ruben Beedle arrived with an excavator from Lake Easton State Park. With the assistance of Cascade Rail Foundation volunteers Roger Sackett, Bruce Reason, Doug Pittis and Mark Borleske, the shack was carefully lifted by the excavator and moved down the right of way. The shack was set on its side for damaged floor joists to be replaced by Roger Sackett. While was working on the floor joists, Bruce, Doug and Mark put down railroad cross ties as a foundation for the shack. Then Reuben carefully picked up the shack with the excavator and set it square and level on the new tie foundation.

In the rail yard, Mark and Bruce planted three Rocky Mountain Juniper trees as a wind block and shade for a resting bench at the western end of the rail yard. A serviceberry tree was planted at another bench on the interpretive trail. The work was complete and we are satisfied with the results.

Roger Sackett, the volunteer project manager for the Easton Telephone Shack rehabilitation returned after the work party to continue work on the shack. Missing siding boards were replaced damaged vertical trim boards were replaced, new roofing material was installed and the edge flashing was reapplied. Roger writes; “Most of the exterior has been painted the original color when the window frames were removed. I found a grey paint sample that had leaked past the trim so that it was never exposed to sunlight.  I say most because the one-gallon of paint ran out before I finished the east side of the building.  At least the 5 new boards on that side received one coat of paint.”

Roger removed the window frames for replacement of the glass panes. Other items on Roger’s project agenda include nailing down loose pieces of siding, installing a hinged door, planking the “front porch”, completing the painting of the shack and fabricating station signs saying EASTON that match the Milwaukee Road style. That’s quite a list of tasks to complete the rehabilitation of the shack next spring.

In the meantime, Roger reports; “With the window and door openings secure, a coat of paint and a new roof the Easton Telephone Shack is ready for winter.”

See all the photos and captions at our photo gallery. In this photo, the Shack is being picked up by the excavator from its temporary location on the substation grounds. Bruce Reason, CRF president, keeps an eye on things and guides the excavator.

Work Party Pre-planning: Roger Sackett and Mark Borleske visited the South Cle Elum Rail Yard on Friday, August 22 and examined the condition of the telephone shack and staked out the future site of the shack along the former Milwaukee Road main line. The shack is in fairly good shape; although some floor joists need to be replaced. The next work party for the Telephone Shack is planned to be a two-day process. The first day the shack will be raised or tipped so the floor joists can be repaired in place. The second day will involve the move of the shack to its final location on a railroad crosstie foundation. The move will be done with equipment and assistance of State Parks with volunteer assistance.

Work on site preparation for the Telephone shack and moving it to its permanent location on the main line along the John Wayne Trail is underway. This is the preliminary work for the rehabilitation of this authentic Milwaukee Road building, the last remnant of the railroad from Easton, Washington. The Telephone shack was saved from destruction by Dave Sprau and donated to the Cascade Rail Foundation after being stored in the Selleck area for many years. Roger Sackett is taking the lead on rehabilitating the structure, once it is relocated to a crosstie foundation for its resting place.

For more information: please contact Mark Borleske (206) 938-8339

or email Markseawa@msn.com

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