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The Northwest Railway Museum shares borders with many fabulous individuals and organizations. One of the largest neighbors is the Meadowbrook Farm, a public open space that preserves a prairie dating back prior to European/American settlement, to Native American settlements of the Snoqualmie Tribe. By 1890, this prairie had become the world's largest hop ranch.
Meadowbrook Farm is central to the Snoqualmie Valley and incorporates land in both the Cities of Snoqualmie and North Bend. A variety of public and private funders and organizations contributed to the assembly of more than 400 acres of public open space, which today is best known as the signature open space between Snoqualmie and North Bend. It is also the open space that borders the Northwest Railway Museum, and helps preserve the context of this representative Washington State branch line. Consequently, more than two miles of right of way will continue to border open space rather than housing developments.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the public open space purchase that created today's Meadowbrook Farm. The Northwest Railway Museum congratulates Local, Regional and State officials who cooperated to create this jewel of the Snoqualmie Valley, and the many local volunteers who contributed their time an talent to make this dream a reality!
The Snoqualmie Depot is the Northwest Railway Museum's most recognizable landmark, and its signature exhibit. Built in 1890, the Depot is a City of Snoqualmie, Washington Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the centrepiece of historic downtown Snoqualmie and receives more than 80,000 visitors per year.
2017 is a Landmark year for the Northwest Railway Museum. It marks the 60th anniversary of the Museum, and the 50th anniversary of the Museum's excursion trains at the Museum in Snoqualmie. The Museum's Board of Trustees is marking the occasion with a notable improvement to the Depot: installation of a replica lamp to the gentlemen's waiting room. The lamp was produced by W.T. Kirkman of Ramona, CA and arrived in April 2017.
The Snoqualmie Depot opened during the late Victorian period when it was not uncommon for public facilities to provide separate accommodation for unescorted ladies. So the Depot was constructed with a separate ladies' and gentlemen's waiting room. The largest and most distinctive room in the Depot is the gentlemen's waiting room. It features a semicircular wall, beautiful colored glass windows, and tongue and groove wall paneling. The clear vertical grain Douglas fir floor is another notable feature. And now, so is a replica of a 19th Century kerosene chandelier!
Special thanks to the 2016 Northwest Railway Museum Board of Trustee members whose contributions made this project possible. Now, we can light up an anniversary to remember!
Meadowbrook Farm is central to the Snoqualmie Valley and incorporates land in both the Cities of Snoqualmie and North Bend. A variety of public and private funders and organizations contributed to the assembly of more than 400 acres of public open space, which today is best known as the signature open space between Snoqualmie and North Bend. It is also the open space that borders the Northwest Railway Museum, and helps preserve the context of this representative Washington State branch line. Consequently, more than two miles of right of way will continue to border open space rather than housing developments.
