By Pauline Masson –
Score one for the history buffs.
In local geologist and seasoned state parks tour guide Jo Schaper’s first meeting as a member of the City Tourism Commission she commented on a an agenda item that could promote Pacific as a destination.
She said we should think about reviving the former annual Railroad Day celebration. It is unclear which city entity could approve reviving this annual festival but it is worth thinking about.
For a dozen years between 2002 and 2014 – not that long ago – city officials, civic groups and downtown businesses – ballyhooed the city’s railroad heritage in a series of Railroad Day festivals. The events were held in present day Pacific Station Plaza 200 South First Street.
The eclectic events had all the elements of a traveling carnival, country fair, and small town jubilee, all based on the city’s railroad heritage.
The first Railroad Day in September 2002 was a momentous day when two great events coincided. The day marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first steam train in downtown Pacific and it witnessed the final run of Engine 1522 that had once pulled passenger trains on the Pacific run.
Everybody who was anybody joined the festivities.
As a prelude to the occasion former Mayor Jill Pigg and Jim McHugh formed the Pacific Partnership to revitalize downtown. Retired BNSF vice president Jim Schwinkendorf moved to Pacific to be near the Railroad History Museum in St. Louis and the old Union Pacific steam engine 1522 that had previously served Pacific. Mayor Jeff Titter, an avowed history buff tapped Sheila Steelman, the city’s economic development director to plan the event. Ron Sansone, downtown property owner and businessman launched a over-the-top campaign to promove the event. Bill McLaren formed a coalition of city civic organizations to support each other. These were Pacific movers and shakers in the early 2000s. Ms. Steelman empaneled a list of local Pacific boosters to help plan the day’s activities.
Mr. Schwinkendorf had persuaded the Railroad History Museum in St. Louis to bring the old steam engine 1522 that once carried passengers trains on its final run to the event and persuaded the BNSF to award its final caboose to Pacific and to deliver it to the First Street city lot
During a stay that lasted at least half an hour, a crowd estimated by Police Chief Ron Reed at 5,000, was allowed to mill about the steam train and its two or three passenger cars. At the encouragement of fathers and grandfathers, small boys placed pennies on the tracks in front of the engine, with the hope of retrieving them after the 1522 passed. There were still cameras and video cameras everywhere. One man was heard to remark that he hadn’t seen that many people in downtown Pacific since the day World War II ended.
The old engine had been spiffed up to rival a new Christmas toy Lionel train. It was painted a shiny new-car black. The silver digits 1522, set against the sienna red Frisco emblem that was also outlined in shiny silver, set off the glistening black engine face. Her solitary headlamp shone golden amber. Her chrome water tanks and bell glistened from recent polishing. On the outer edge of the engine, two small American flags snapped handsomely.
For the formal ceremony, Ms. Steelman invited a list of county and state officials to help the city celebrate its heritage, incuding State Reps. Francis Overschmidt, a member of the state tourism committee, John Griesheimer and Harold Selby; Franklin County first district commissioner Terry Wilson; Bob Baker, BNSF Springfield division superintendent; Mike McLaughlin, BNSF St. Louis division superintendent; and Wendell Smith, UMS and John Robinson, Missouri tourism director.
Mayor Jeff Titter welcomed visitors, proclaimed the first annual Railroad Day celebration in Pacific and vowed city support for efforts of the Pacific Partnership and the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce in their efforts to develop the visitors center and revitalize Downtown Pacific.
“We don’t want to forget that this all started under former mayor Jill Pigg,” Titter said. “And we’re committed to keep it going forward from here.”
The mayor also presented BNSF officials will a plaque of appreciation for the gift of the caboose to the city and cut the symbolic ribbon opening the caboose for tours.
Mr. Robinson said he was “impressed with the renaissance in Pacific,” and promised to include the City of Pacific in the news releases, travel guides and itineraries that his department publishes.
He also encouraged the city to follow up on efforts to promote itself as the hub of area tourist destination. He said his department was seeing resurgence in interest in old Route 66 and urged Ms.Steelman to look for ways to promote the section of the highway that goes through Pacific.
Representative Russ Carnahan, who rode the steam train from St. Louis to Downtown Pacific, extended the good wishes of his mother Senator Jean Carnahan to the town.
“It’s just exciting to be part of the community spirit that is evident here in Pacific,” Mr. Carnahan said.
Keith Muehler, Pacific Partnership president said the mission of the event was to advance Old Town as a social, cultural, educational and economic center
Mr. Mchugh announced that the Partnership would develop the city’s storage yard where the event was held into a visitor center – today’s Paciic Station Plaza.
The second RR Day in 2003 saw more train-related activities for people to enjoy, including historic tours of downtown, model train railroad displays, telegraph demonstrations, a farmers market, live music, crafters, and public safety awareness information.
For that event, Ms Steeman also arranged a rare round trip Amtrk excursion ride to Hermann. Over 250 people enjoyed the ride, producing additional revenue of almost $10,000 for Amtrak.”
That year Mayor Titter signed an agreement leasing the Pacific Station Plaza property to the Pacific Partnership to promote redevelopment of the downtown area as a ‘destination point’ for tourists.
Each year, Railroad Day planners looked to include more activities – miniature train rides for children, ten-foot high banners inviting motorists to join the festival, “Pacific’s Got Talent,” music competition, tram tours along an eight-block section of downtown as Society members described the people, events and local lore of the town.
During the eighth Annual Railroad Day Festival in 2012 Ben Jones, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) public affairs director, awarded the city of Pacific the company’s Train Town USA designation. Mr. Jones was accompanied by the UP Heritage Train engine athat was parked it on a siding east of the Plaza. With UP promotion hundreds of out of towners came to see the historic engine.
For most of the events specialty booths circled the Plaza offering high-end cooking gear, scented candles, wallets, body wraps, books, handmade jewelry, country specialties and even locally produced honey.
So many patrons crowded the 2014 food booth that event chair Monica Mahler had to pitch in to fill food orders.
Anyone who doubts that Railroad Day festivals benefited the city should consider that within two decades of the first event a new and modernized downtown emerged.
The Pacific Partnership developed the former city storage lot south of the tracks on South Fist Street into Pacific Station Plaza, a train watching and public events venue – a train watching pavilion, farmer’s market, music programs, and the popular Christmas on the Plaza.
Restaurants, retail stores, a bank, lady barbers and a trendy cigar and bourbon bar now occupy restored 1870s storefronts. This economic renaissance created a great place for businesses and civic groups to stage series of street flea markets, art shows, chain saw carving competition and parades..
Hats off to Jo Schaper for triggering this visit to a rousing past.
This was NOT my comment. Tourism Chair Christine Slusser had the item placed on the agenda, and I merely commented on it– because I was the only member of the Tourism Commission (save maybe our City Clerk who acts as the Secretary) who had ever attended the original.
Thanks, Jo. At any rate, I loved hearing that someone wanted to revive it. And I think it should be this year, not next year. We could work the kinks out before the birthday year, which will be 3/4 of a year past in September 2026.