October 10, 17
“I went through that door to board the train when I went off to fight in World War II,” said the elderly gentleman as he stood in the St. Johns Depot this past summer. As he went on to describe his experiences in the war, Jenny McCampbell, Co-Director of Clinton Northern Railway (CNR) Museum with her husband Gary, made it her goal to start recording these and many other Depot Memories for all to appreciate and learn from.
To that end, Sunday afternoons, October 10 and 17, 1:00 – 4:00 PM, have been designated Memory Sundays by the McCampbells to encourage people to stop by and share their memories of taking trains to and from the St. Johns Depot; meeting people or saying farewell to them at the Depot; or simply enjoying the sounds and sights of the trains as they ran through town. Memories about hobos are also sought. Additionally, the McCampbells would love to have people bring in old pictures from in and around the Depot to be scanned into a computer; the pictures won’t be harmed in any way, and they don’t need to be left at the Depot.
People with memories and/or pictures to share but who can’t make it to the Depot on October 10 or 17 between 1:00 and 4:00 PM are welcome to make other arrangements by calling the McCampbells at 224-6134 or sending an email to mccampbell60@gmail.com.
During Memory Sundays the Depot will continue to be open for people of all ages to enjoy the model train running around the historic layout (still in progress of being assembled) in the east room of the Depot; tours of the historic railcars outside the Depot, and the artifacts and toy wooden trains inside the Depot.
The CNR Museum will be closed November – April, except by special appointment which can be arranged by contacting the McCampbells.
Visitors to the depot grounds throughout this summer and fall have been treated to beautiful flowers lining the walkways in front of the Depot, surrounding the Gazebo, in front of Briggs Library and within the Friendship Garden just west of the library. These areas have been planted and/or maintained by a group of generous volunteers led by Heather Hanover, a Master Gardener.
She recruited like-minded friends to help beautify that area of St. Johns. The regulars working with Heather include Laurie Slamka, Sue Neuder, Barb Ivan, Chris Grinnell and Tracy Kosaras. The CNR volunteers give these gardeners many thanks for their contributions even during the heat of the summer.
The Clinton Northern Railway is a branch of the Clinton County Arts Council, which receives some of its funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts, along with many generous people in this area.