Roundhouse nears completion

The interpretive roundhouse building at the Paradise Center in Paradise is near completion.

"We are developing plans for more informative and engaging exhibits in the new building," said treasurer and board member John Thorson. The center received a grant from the Foundation for Montana History to contract with museum consultant Lynda Moss and complete the project. She has been involved with the development of the original Master Exhibit Plan, working with the center for over eight years.

The roundhouse will have five thematic stations in its bays. They include passenger service, freight service, mail delivery, railroad tie treating plant and the roundhouse functions and operations.

The board met last Thursday with Moss to discuss ideas for exhibits and where to procure items needed. Photographs are needed of the Paradise area pertaining to the railroad era during tie plant operation to document artifacts. The board is asking for ideas and donations from the community. Moss said she plans to help the board with use of the roundhouse for aspects of the economy and social history of the area. The vision is to potentially have large-scale artifacts for people to touch. "We want to represent the tremendous amount of people power it took to build the railroad and the community," Moss said.

Board member Karen Thorson said a book about a dog that traveled across the country on rail mail cars will be a part of one exhibit. "Owney is the name of the dog that went on trains and steam ships overseas. His story represents the importance of the railroad across our country," Karen said. Owney is what mail workers call the tags put on mail bags. The dog Owney had a vest made to hold the tags he collected on his travels. Karen's goal is to have plenty of educational and fun activities for children of all ages.

"The original roundhouse was a 20-bay building and the tie treating plant was located on the division point between the Rocky Mountain front and the Pacific. Our version of the operation will offer a more personal understanding of how big of a task it all was," Karen said.

Board member Dave Colyer said, "Tie Buckers moved over 400 railroad ties a day. Each tie earned them 14 cents. A lighter dry tie weighed an average of 150 pounds while green ties weighed upward of 300 pounds."

"Interpretive information with QR codes will provide extended information at the stations if people want to use them. They offer it through another human being making it more experiential," Karen said.

The roundhouse will be a tactile experience that correlates to the train exhibits in the center's railroad room. "We want it to be reflective of how things were done and the impact on the Chinese, Native Americans and women of railroad communities," John said. The board hopes to have the roundhouse completed next spring.