By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Historical Society of Weston is moving forward with plans to bring back the Weston Depot to the village after it has been on the Wood County Fairgrounds for 55 years.
The process is slow but focused on making sure they do it right, said Brittney Klockowski, secretary of the historical society.
Klockowski and Jeremy Schroeder, president of the historical society, met with the Wood County Fair Board last year and got permission to take back the depot. Because of the potentially expensive endeavor to move the building and caboose, there is no established timeline.
Until the historical society can finalize its nonprofit status to then be able to raise funds for the depot’s move, the small-but-dedicated group is working to raise awareness of Weston’s rich history.
The historical society is sprucing up the depot and caboose to host an open house one day during the fair. Weston Depot Day will be Wednesday, July 30. With limited volunteers to staff the depot, it will only be open one day at the fair.
“We wanted to show that we are still trying our best,” Klockowski said, despite the group’s members working full-time or having other responsibilities.
The depot is in decent shape with no roof leaks, only a need for touchups and organizing. They hope to bring in personal items for display to show Weston through the years.
One of the goals is to paint the caboose prior to the fair. Two workdays are planned to paint the caboose and possibly touch up the paint inside and on the deck, if there is time.
“We want to get it in tip-top shape for the fair,” she said. They are asking volunteers to help paint on Sunday, July 6, and Sunday, July 13, both from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers should bring appropriate clothes and any paint supplies they are willing to donate to the cause.
“Make sure you plan to stop by during the fair, even if you can’t make it out to volunteer,” she said.
Fairgoers will be able to walk through the building, see various memorabilia and learn some of Weston’s history, including the importance of the depot to the town’s development.
The depot, which was built in 1853, was built before they had the railroad line.
“That showed the dedication the town had to getting the railroad through,” Klockowski said. “Then the town just blossomed around the depot and the railroad.”
Though the society is dedicated to restoring and preserving the depot, they are facing various challenges, such as securing nonprofit status, finding funding, and getting approval from the village council to use the land where the depot originally stood.
“If we are doing this, we want to do it right,” she said. “We want to make sure we dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s.”
They are working on acquiring a bank account and nonprofit status, which are necessary before seeking grants and private donations to finance the expense of moving the building and caboose from the fairgrounds back to Weston.
In addition to Klockowski as secretary and Jeremy Schroeder as president, the society’s officers include Vice President Sue Clanton, Treasurer Joe Schroeder, and Trustees Larry Nelson, Robin Kaiser and Bob Ackerman. Membership is $20 per year, and meetings are on the fourth Thursday of the month in the Weston Public Library.
“We are very grateful to the Bechstein family who has been taking care of it and preserving it,” Klockowski said. “We hope to continue that legacy of taking care of it, preserving it and experiencing the history of Weston through it.”
Additionally, she thanked the fair board for its support in moving the project along.
“We also would love if people would attend our meetings on the fourth Thursday of the month at the Weston Library,” she said. Visit the Historical Society of Weston’s Facebook page for up-to-date information about the historical society’s meetings and events.
