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Saturday, October 8, 2016 was dedication day for the Railway Education Center ("REC"), the third phase in the development of the Railway History Center campus in Snoqualmie. While some work remains to be completed, the building is enclosed, the heat is on, the restrooms work, and at the dedication everyone could tour the building!
The event was modest and straight-forward. It included a special train ride; dedication speeches by Washington State Representative Chad Magendanz, Snoqualmie Mayor pro tem Bob Jeans, Museum Board President Dennis Snook and Museum Executive Director Richard Anderson; and refreshments consisting of hot cider, cake, and cookies. During the event, many of the more than 200 guests posed along the front of the Railway Education Center for a group photo.
Museum staff and a number of guests added a special touch: period clothing. Even Deputy Director Jessie Cunningham and Executive Director Richard Anderson participated, each wearing their own representation of early 20th or late 19th Century attire! (Usually only Registrar Cristy Lake and Marketing Manager Peggy Barchi participate.)
Highlighting some of the important points concerning this latest phase, Executive Director Anderson said, "This third phase of the Railway
History Center is actually critical mass for the Museum. This latest facility allows the Museum to
operate exhibits independent of train operation, and allows extended visits
with train operation. With this new
facility, the Museum will be able to expand the size of audience and
significantly increase the length of visit.
These factors are important not only to the success of the Museum, but
increase its economic impact in the community."
He continued, "The Museum has been developing what
came to be known as the Railway History Center for most of its history. The more concerted effort has taken place over
the last fifteen years, with active construction beginning about 11 years
ago. This latest effort called the
Railway Education Center, is the third phase, and actually completes the
original museum scope envisioned 60 years ago. And What
makes this project and the museum successful? It certainly
isn’t one or two people, it is a diverse team and includes trustees, staff and
volunteers. So whether it is a trustee
who makes a substantial financial contribution, a volunteer who contributes
material to the library, or a staff member who fills out a grant application,
all of the team members are vital to the project success. But there is another important element:
community. The City of Snoqualmie and
its current and former mayors and council, it is the community members, it’s
the county, and the State.
"And what makes this project and the museum successful? It certainly isn’t one or two people, it is a diverse team and includes trustees, staff and volunteers. So whether it is a trustee who makes a substantial financial contribution, a volunteer who contributes material to the library, or a staff member who fills out a grant application, all of the team members are vital to the project success. But there is another important element: community. The City of Snoqualmie and its current and former mayors and council, it is the community members, it’s the county, and the State."
Anderson added, "I have personally been working on museum development for the Northwest Railway Museum since I accepted
this job almost 22 years ago. I believed
in the Museum’s mission then, and I continue to believe in it now. It encompasses a vision that is not a library
or an exhibit hall, not a steam train or a railroad bridge, it isn’t a book or
a locomotive, and it is neither a short experience nor a long one. It is all of these things that together
present a cohesive and compelling story about how the railroad shaped
settlement and development in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for being here today to help us
celebrate this achievement, and welcome to the Railway Education Center."
“Some of you might have thought we were going to pound in the golden spike,” said Museum Director Richard Anderson at the Train Shed Dedication October 2, “but that’s not the case.”
He went on to outline how in 1900 the Great Northern Railway had recently acquired controlling interest in the Northern Pacific Railway and was on the verge of insolvency. At that time, the sale of 900,000 acres of land to Frederick Weyerhaeuser forever changed the fortunes of the Pacific Northwest, because a few weeks later Frederick launched the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, and the railroad became the primary connection between producer and customer.
“So I believe it’s rather fitting that we celebrate the completion of the Train Shed with the placement of two juvenile trees, one a Douglas-fir and the other a western redcedar.” These two species played vital roles in the success of Northwest forest and rail industries.
While dignitaries dedicated the Doug-fir, other special guests - children and teens - dedicated the western redcedar. “Even though we’re representing history here,” said Anderson, this facility “is all about tomorrow. And for tomorrow, it’s the youth of today.”
“How exciting it is to see people coming here today in strollers and on walkers,” King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert remarked. “It is both ends that make [this project] so important.... I want you to know that we appreciate what’s happened here. It’s part of the economic development. It’s part of...the city having a new vibrance. It’s really exciting to see.”
In the creation of this new exhibit building, history and future unite in a number of ways. While Lambert spoke of vision, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson presented another forward-moving concept. “If I was to pick one word to describe a theme for where Snoqualmie and the Northwest Railway Museum is right now in its history, that word would be momentum,” Larson said. “This town of Snoqualmie had not had a lot of great things happen for several decades. It just went into a lot of slow decline.... It takes a tremendous amount of effort to start that momentum, just to get things moving.”
Snoqualmie Councilmember Bob Jeans added, “Not only is our history tied together, but the future of Snoqualmie and the future of the Museum are inexorably tied together.”
The Train Shed honors history. But it’s also making history. The project is possible because of a complex land exchange never before done in Washington State. The Museum offered up some land down the road, and King County, the City of Snoqualmie, the City of North Bend, the State of Washington and Meadowbrook Farm Preservation all approved a transfer which enabled the Museum to create a 6-acre site in combination with its railroad right of way. Another first: the North American Railway Foundation, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, made its first contribution in Washington State to this project.
A further way in which yesterday and tomorrow join forces is in the building itself, in design and materials. The Train Shed and grounds feature natural lighting, recycled steel, locally produced concrete, ultraviolet-filtering windows, a rain garden, pervious pavers and native plants, plus other sustainability-driven innovations.
“But in the end,” said Museum Director Anderson, “this is really about all of you. Successful museums are engaged with their communiities, and achieving that engagement is the very essence of a museum’s success. For the Northwest Railway Museum, it means having an engaged and representative board of trustees, being located in an open-minded and inclusive community, having participation from a broad spectrum of volunteers and earning the support of individual donors from across the region.”
The Museum is grateful to many supporters and donors, including State Representative Jay Rodne, whose support helped secure substantial funding for the project; the Puget Sound Regional Council; and 4Culture, who awarded the Train Shed’s first large grant, which the Museum repeatedly leveraged for additional outside funding.
So what do you think? As the Douglas-fir and western redcedar take root and grow, will they symbolize yesterday or tomorrow? Or - in their branches as in the Train Shed - will past and future intertwine?
Photos from top to bottom:
Train Shed groundbreaking ceremony August 5, 2009
Train Shed dedication October 2, 2010
Western redcedar sapling
Youth dedicating western redcedar
"People here today in strollers and on walkers"
Museum President Susan Hankins, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson and King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert
Snoqualmie Councilmember Bob Jeans
Guests enter the Train Shed
Train Shed interior
After the ceremony
Special performance by world-renowned violinist Lenore Vardi
Douglas-fir sapling
Special train arrives at the dedication event
To view a video of the Train Shed Dedication, click here.
Saturday, October 8, 2016 was dedication day for the Railway Education Center ("REC"), the third phase in the development of the Railway History Center campus in Snoqualmie. While some work remains to be completed, the building is enclosed, the heat is on, the restrooms work, and at the dedication everyone could tour the building! 
The event was modest and straight-forward. It included a special train ride; dedication speeches by Washington State Representative Chad Magendanz, Snoqualmie Mayor pro tem Bob Jeans, Museum Board President Dennis Snook and Museum Executive Director Richard Anderson; and refreshments consisting of hot cider, cake, and cookies. During the event, many of the more than 200 guests posed along the front of the Railway Education Center for a group photo.
Museum staff and a number of guests added a special touch: period clothing. Even Deputy Director Jessie Cunningham and Executive Director Richard Anderson participated, each wearing their own representation of early 20th or late 19th Century attire! (Usually only Registrar Cristy Lake and Marketing Manager Peggy Barchi participate.)
Highlighting some of the important points concerning this latest phase, Executive Director Anderson said, "This third phase of the Railway
History Center is actually critical mass for the Museum. This latest facility allows the Museum to
operate exhibits independent of train operation, and allows extended visits
with train operation. With this new
facility, the Museum will be able to expand the size of audience and
significantly increase the length of visit.
These factors are important not only to the success of the Museum, but
increase its economic impact in the community."
He continued, "The Museum has been developing what
came to be known as the Railway History Center for most of its history. The more concerted effort has taken place over
the last fifteen years, with active construction beginning about 11 years
ago. This latest effort called the
Railway Education Center, is the third phase, and actually completes the
original museum scope envisioned 60 years ago. And What
makes this project and the museum successful? It certainly
isn’t one or two people, it is a diverse team and includes trustees, staff and
volunteers. So whether it is a trustee
who makes a substantial financial contribution, a volunteer who contributes
material to the library, or a staff member who fills out a grant application,
all of the team members are vital to the project success. But there is another important element:
community. The City of Snoqualmie and
its current and former mayors and council, it is the community members, it’s
the county, and the State.
"And what makes this project and the museum successful? It certainly isn’t one or two people, it is a diverse team and includes trustees, staff and volunteers. So whether it is a trustee who makes a substantial financial contribution, a volunteer who contributes material to the library, or a staff member who fills out a grant application, all of the team members are vital to the project success. But there is another important element: community. The City of Snoqualmie and its current and former mayors and council, it is the community members, it’s the county, and the State."
Anderson added, "I have personally been working on museum development for the Northwest Railway Museum since I accepted
this job almost 22 years ago. I believed
in the Museum’s mission then, and I continue to believe in it now. It encompasses a vision that is not a library
or an exhibit hall, not a steam train or a railroad bridge, it isn’t a book or
a locomotive, and it is neither a short experience nor a long one. It is all of these things that together
present a cohesive and compelling story about how the railroad shaped
settlement and development in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for being here today to help us
celebrate this achievement, and welcome to the Railway Education Center."
