Letter to the Editor: Claim the legacy

By David Paige, Charles City

My wife, Elizabeth, grew up in Owatanna and later lived in Mason City where she worked for the school district and where her grandfather, Ray Pauley, was mayor in 1944-45. We’ve been coming to Charles City for decades to visit our daughter Meg, who has been wonderfully cared for by the staff at Comp Systems.

During our visits we have grown fond of Charles City and have been impressed by the amenities which have added handsomely to the charm of the city. A coffee shop on Main Street, the Veteran’s Memorial, Victory Park, the new bridge and river walk, public art and the Art Center, all speak to the vibrancy of the city.

In 2017 we bought the Arthur Campbell house in the historic district and are restoring it into what will become our permanent home.

And now there is a new opportunity to claim another piece of the heritage of Charles City.

For 50 years the train depot provided residents a gateway to the country. Many of your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and perhaps even you sat in that depot waiting for a train.

How many goodbyes and welcome backs took place at the depot? How many dreams arrived and departed on those tracks? How many tractors left Charles City on flatbed cars bound for dealers far and wide.

For many people, “when that lonesome whistle blows” it’s the stuff of curiosity, imagination, and intrigue.

The American Passenger Train History Museum will bring imagination to reality for young and old. But creating such reality requires some of my money, and a bit of yours too. I ask you to join the collective spirit of this effort by making a pledge to claim the legacy of the depot and preserve a vital piece of Charles City history.