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Two of the Turbotville Afghan Collectables

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Desk typical of that used in a train station

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Dresses worn during Turbotville Centennial in 1959

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Parlor stove on loan to the Train Station

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Replica of Turbotville Nat'l Bank used in Sesquicentennial parade

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The Turbotville Train Station has been a continuous project for the Turbotville Borough Heritage Society since it was formed in 2010. We have come a long way from a battered building sitting in Bloomsburg, almost forgotten, and being used for storage. The train station today is looking just a bit better thanks to the many volunteer hours of painting and staining that have taken place throughout the beginning of 2015. Gray stain has been applied to the rough-cut hemlock board and batten exterior. Darker gray paint has been applied to all the trim surrounding windows and doors as well as the decorative gable brackets. A third, lighter shade of gray has been applied to the entry doors, the original freight doors, and window sashes.

A retaining wall around the basement entrance also needs to be completed and we have chosen to construct the wall from railroad ties in keeping with the train station theme.

The interior of the train station is complete including vintage dark green pull down window shades, period light fixtures, and installation of counter space for sale of our Turbotville commemorative items that can be found here on the website by clicking on the "MERCHANDISE" tab. Display cases have been mounted to the walls to house Turbotville, railroad, and train station memorabilia. We are still receiving donations to put on display in the train station. So, if you have items you wish to donate, please read the information below to see how you can participate in preserving Turbotville's history for generations to come?

In the fall of 2011, the heritage society received a generous donation of an original Railway Express freight cart from Scott Baylor of Brook Park Farm, Lewisburg, and his brother Gary Baylor of the Country Cupboard Restaurant, also in Lewisburg. Since that time, heritage society member Leon Hagenbuch has restored the freight cart to its former self. Having been stored outside for many years, the cart needed virtually all the wood parts replaced or refurbished and the metal pieces needed scraped and repainted. With good bones to work with, Leon restored the freight cart with recycled wood and period paint colors. The cart still retains most of its original parts including axles, wood-spoke wheels with steel bands, and the original counter-balanced tongue and pull handle.

When the Turbotville Train Station was built in 1886, freight shipments were handled at the station by a company called "Adams Express" but, after a few short years, another company called "Railway Express" took over. We are lucky that the cart still retains a porcelain sign denoting it is from Railway Express. Once the train station is completed, it will be placed on permanent display.

The cart was featured in the June 2012 Turbotville Fireman's Parade. Signs were attached to the cart thanking contractor Frank Cotner of Milton and crane operator Jim Styer of Turbotville for the many hours of work they put into dismantling, transporting, and reassembling the train station.

We would like thank Gary and Scott for their donation and Leon for his many hours of restoring this important piece of railroading history.

Although we are currently focused on the Turbotville Train Station, the goal of our organization is to preserve as much about the local history of Turbotville as we can. With this in mind, if you have items you would like to donate for display, please let us know? We will gladly accept any items relating to the history of Turbotville in order to start an archive of information for future generations. Items such as billheads, newspaper clippings, maps, calendars, photographs, business cards or other paper documents can all be scanned and/or copied for inclusion in our archives so that you may retain your originals, if you wish. Other items such as local business advertising items, signs, crates, or any other items that contain Turbotville information may be donated fully to the heritage society or offered on loan for display once the train station project has been completed. We have already started to receive train station items, railroad related photos, and items that will become part of the permanent display in the train station. So, look through those boxes in the attic, basement, or garage and see what treasures you can uncover. Allow us to share those items, no matter how large or how small, so everyone can take a glimpse into the past of our town. Please contact TBHS President Michael Sechler at tbhs1859@yahoo.com or by phone at 570-649-5289 about what items you have to include in the TBHS archives?