Saline Students Travel Back in Time at the Saline History and Depot Museum

Saline students took a trip back in time to the golden age of train travel, thanks to the Saline Historical Society. The Saline District Library’s Time Travelers took a field trip to the Depot Museum on Tuesday, where children were able to walk through the caboose, ride the rails, and learn about Saline’s history.

Historical Society members Margaret and Bob Lane welcomed the children, along with Douglas Elfring, as they toured the various buildings and structures.

At the livery barn, the children covered their ears as Elfring rang the bell that was once perched on top of a steam train.

In the museum, kids could try sending messages via telegraph, ring up sales at the old cash register, and look at photographs and memorabilia from Saline’s history.

“They liked opening the cash register and trying the telegraph machine,” Margaret Lane said.

“When I use the cash register, they’re all surprised at how it works. I call it a computer without electricity,” Bob Lane said.

On the furnished caboose, Douglas Elfring explained the work involved for train men and track men during a time when there were no major highways and much of the freight was still done by the railroad. He also explained that because of automation, cabooses are no longer used in the industry.

Jennifer Lupton, from the Saline District Library youth department, greeted families and spoke with the children as they watched the presentation.

“We started Time Travelers last year, about every other month. We pick a time, an era, an event in history, and we have a program about that,” she said. “We’ve done Titanic, we’ve done ancient Egypt, we’ve done Vikings. Each time, we give them a badge that they can take to show where they have been. It’s a lot of fun.”

Time Travelers typically meets at the Saline Library, where students will hear a presentation, see a slide show, and make a craft. Due to library renovations, the group was able to meet at the depot instead.

“This was exceptional because we got to come to a historic place to see the train and ride the velocipede,” Lupton said.

“These kinds of projects really resonate with the kids, because it’s very visual. To be able to come here and see all of this, I hope that they have a real appreciation for what it used to be like and the people who still remember what it was like.”

The Saline History and Depot Museum, located at 402 N. Ann Arbor Street, is open every Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM.

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