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THE SAGA OF RAILROAD SWITCH KAPER:
From the
Nemaha County Historical Society's news letter of Nov. 8, 2005
by DarlAnn Rial
Over eighty
people toured the Nemaha County Historical Museum during the October
2nd Heritage Day Open House. Viewing displays on both
floors of the historic sheriff’s residence, both floors of the old
county jail, and the Burger Annex I, participants inevitably checked
out the new exhibitions in the Burger Annex II. Most were
impressed, but one couple was stunned. Max and Carolyn Huerter of
Bern stopped short at the display of the Kansas City North Western
Railroad Switch from Kampler Siding.
The couple
read the posted information outlining the procurement of the
railroad switch as published in the July 2005 Tribune Courier:
In December of 2004, Dick
Miller informed Kenneth Stallbaumer that he had found a railroad
switch from the Kansas City North Western railroad and wanted to
know if the Historical Society might be interested in adding it to
their collection of history.
In June 2005,
Dick and Ken went out east of the Lake Nemaha area and took a look
at the switch. The Historical Society was interested in obtaining
the Railroad Switch that had been at this spot for over 100 years.
Likely some 85 years since it was used. This switch was on Bob
Calderwood’s property some 100 feet south of where Bob’s Lake Side
Restaurant was located. Bob gave Ken and Dick permission to go and
get it and it can now be seen at the Historical Museum.
Kampler
Station on the east side of the Nemaha River near where the Nemaha
Lake was later built. This siding or Station was location in
Section 23 and was so named Kampler because of two people who were
responsible for setting up the railroad siding. The name taken was
from last syllables of “Vonderkamp” and “Winkler”.
Ray T. Ingalls reported to the Rotary Club on January 17, 1963: The
Kansas City North Western Railroad was organized in 1886 and this
was too late in the history for railroads to receive a land grant to
help finance the railroad. Bonds had to be sold by towns and
countries through the area to which the tack was to run. Seneca
voted 325 to 10 for the city to issue $20,000 in bonds to be
sold and purchase stock in the KC and NW Railroad. The laying of
the rail was completed in 1888.
Mr. Ingalls could find no records of any
dividends being paid, but found
that the railroad
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served Seneca
for three decades. Seneca was considered a railroad town since most
of the
crews lived in
Seneca. There were three Freight Crews, a passenger crew, a mail
clerk and baggage man, a section crew, telegraphers, a half dozen
employees at the coal shuts and pumping stations, roundhouse
employees and all making their home in Seneca and marrying Seneca
girls. The railroad payroll was a boost to the Nemaha County
economy. The Historical Society wishes to thank all who were
involved in obtaining the old relic from the past: Dick Miller, Bob
Calderwood, Eldon Olberding and Bill Claas.
Max and
Carolyn Huerter read the displayed information with some skepticism
and said to each other, “We have something like that railroad switch
on our property.”
Wondering
about the historic item, they drove to their property near the old
Nemaha Lake and found it gone from their land. When Deputy
Darlinghaus was called to the site with one or both of the Huerters,
the Historical Society was contacted. Ken Stallbaumer admitted and
apologized for his management of the caper, but added that he would
not have put it in the newspaper if he was really stealing the
railroad switch. The Huerters had not seen the article in the
newspaper.
Although proper
procurement procedures were not totally followed, the Nemaha
Historical Society had no intentions of stealing the switch. In
fact, Eldon Olberding had checked the plat and believed the group
had chosen the correct landowner for permission from among six
listed. “The
day we chose to go get the switch Bob Calderwood was unable to go
with us as he had planned. He had to attend a funeral instead. If
he had accompanied us to the site it is likely this mistake would
not have happened since he would have been more familiar with where
we were,” concluded Ken Stallbaumer.
Carolyn
Huerter removed the railroad switch from the museum on Wednesday,
October 5, 2005. The Nemaha County Historical Society apologizes
for the entire railroad switch caper and encourages the Huerters to
preserve the historical switch for future generations.
Taken from the
Nemaha County Historical Society Home Page
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