Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District (Sioux City, IA): Ironhorse Days Oct 15 & 16

What is the Roundhouse 101 Centennial Challenge Initiative?

Roundhouse 101 Centennial Challenge is an 8-year effort launched in 2009 by the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association to develop the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District for its new use as an industrial science and heritage museum focusing on the North American railroad industry. The initiative comprises several components – furthering the goals of historic preservation work, heritage stewardship, and the blended interpretation of science, technology, and history.

The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association is using the initiative to complete building renovation projects encompassing the roundhouse, machine shop, car/carpenter shop, sand drying house, water closet, and engineer’s tool shed. Additional work centers on the development of an interpretive trail system, construction of hard surface parking lots, and the installation of a miniature 16-inch gauge railroad. Educational programs will be expanded to include signature and temporary exhibitions augmented by educational classes and workshops.

The long-term outcome of the Roundhouse 101 Centennial Challenge is to make this former steam locomotive servicing terminal available for the enjoyment of the public in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops in 2017. The “Roundhouse 101” moniker denotes the goal of preparing the historic district for a second century of service in its new role as a center of informal education and museum experiences. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is often locally referred to as the “roundhouse” complex.

The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association will accomplish this work by raising private donations and securing state and federal grant funds to carry out the historic preservation work on the buildings, locomotives, rolling stock and artifacts that comprise the railroad museum collection. The 100th Anniversary of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops provides the community with an unprecedented opportunity to preserve a collection of railroad structures that have typically been abandoned and demolished.

There are many ways you can get involved with the Roundhouse 101 Centennial Challenge. You can volunteer your time and expertise, provide donations to support the construction work, or visit the Milwaukee Railroad Shops to discover your community’s rich railroad heritage.

Naming opportunities available for workshop area in the roundhouse building

The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association is offering the proposed new restoration workshop area as a permanent naming opportunity for donors. With a gift of $10,000 a donor can permanently associate his or her name with the museum’s restoration workshop or honor the contributions of others.

A wide variety of opportunities exist in other areas of the railroad museum to make a naming gift in recognition of a family member or former railroad employee. A donor interested in a particular building, structure, or exhibit gallery, may earmark a contribution towards a specific area such as the machine shop building – which will house the Corliss steam engine from the KD Station in the former stockyards area. Naming gift opportunities for other areas in the historic district are available for contributions of $15,000 or more.

A named gift to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District sends a strong message to the community and historic district visitors that an individual, business, or organization has generously loaned their name in support of the Museum’s effort to rehabilitate buildings, construct exhibits, and establish educational programs.

Named gifts may bear your name, your family name, your company’s name, or the name of someone you wish to honor or memorialize. Through a named gift, the generous support of the donor or designee will be appropriately recognized through the displaying of a plague.

For more information on how you can participate in the Naming Gift Opportunity program, please e-mail shra@cableone.net.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Ironhorse Days Oct 15 & 16

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What is the Roundhouse 101 Centennial Challenge Initiative?

Naming opportunities available for workshop area in the roundhouse building