Celebrating 10 years

In a year filled with much uncertainty, it’s good to celebrate the accomplishments of the community.

One such celebration was held on Oct. 3 as the South Dakota State Railroad Museum (SDSRM) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a soiree and a ribbon cutting on its grounds.

“Thank you so much for everyone being here tonight,” said Rick Mills, director of the SDSRM, to the roughly three dozen people gathered on the lawn in front of the museum. “I can’t express our appreciation for everybody who is here tonight.”

Lesta Turchen, who is the president of the SDSRM’s board of directors, echoed Mills’s statement. She welcomed Rev. Bob Bye who said a few words and gave an invocation for the evening.

“I’ve always said that everything starts with an idea,” Bye said. “I think someone had a really good idea.”

Bye said he remembered visiting the gift shop of the 1880 Train one day in the 1990s, and the 1880 Train had produced a video on railroads in the Black Hills.

Bye said it was Joanna Warder with the 1880 Train who said some day there should be a museum dedicated to railroading in the Black Hills and in South Dakota.

Bye said he thought that was a good idea.

“I think good ideas and better ideas are inspired,” he said. “I think that’s what happened here. It wasn’t just a good idea, it was an inspired idea. To the Warder family and everyone who created this great idea of a railroad museum, I think it came from a little divine source.”

Mills spoke again after Bye and thanked the Warder family for allowing the museum to be on the same grounds as the 1880 Train.

It was the Warder family that came up with the idea for the museum, Mills added.

“I feel very blessed to be a part of this, but all of you who have been a part of this and can appreciate how much work this takes to get a museum off the ground,” Mills said. “I want to thank you all for seeing that and being a part of it. We like to think we are teaching, but you know what we’re doing: we’re actually sharing our story. I feel very good that we are able to do that to this group that comes here through Hill City, rides the 1880 Train and visits us here at the South Dakota State Railroad Museum.”

After Mills, Kathy Skorzewski, Hill City mayor, spoke about the importance of history.

Hill City embraces and does not erase its history, she said. Along with the 1880 Train, there’s a good opportunity for the promotion of history and education in Hill City when it comes to the railroad.

“This doesn’t happen anywhere else. It happens here in the Black Hills. ...Railroads really are what built our towns,” she said. “We got our supplies out here, things came out here. Had it not been for that, I don’t think we’d be what we are today, so we really need to take a moment to step back in time and thank all of those who came before us for all they’ve done to give us what we have today and allow us to be able to enjoy some of these things.”

After Skorzewski, Jim Wren, editor of Trains Magazine spoke.

He said it’s a joy to be in Hill City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the museum in a year that has been filled with hardships and “a lot of downers.”

“But this is a wonderful place, you have a wonderful institution here, it tells a great story, it’s a wonderful reminder of who we are as a people, as pioneers and people who are about hard work,” Wren said. And just the fun and joy of trains. Trains are a great thing. If they don’t put a smile on your face I don’t know what does.”