Preserved 1981 vintage Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe wide vision caboose. The Santa Fe Prairie nature preserve. Hodgkins Illinois. July 2007.
Originally uploaded by Eddie from Chicago
This preserved example of a once modern wide vision cupola caboose, can be seen up close at the Santa Fe Prairie Nature Preserve in southwest suburban Hodgkins Illinois.
The former Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, had donated this 1981 era caboose around the time of the merger with the former Burlington Northern Railroad to the Santa Fe Prairie.
1 comment:
This well-kept caboose is placed in a nature setting that according to local newspapers and officials has not been worked or disturbed. It goes back to the Potowonomy American Indian tribe which occupied the Hodgkins area during the time of Lewis and Clark and Father Pierre Marquette. From the caboose it is easy to view the mostly undesturbed DesPlaines River. However, just to the east of the river Interstate 55 speads by 24/7. It sets up quite a contrast from the undesturbed to the very modern, although the modern does not make enought noise to desturb the quiet, contempletive atmosphere of the nature preserve. The Village of Hodgkins has generously constructed a paved access road which is known as River Road/Leon A. Cook Drive to make easy access to the preserve. Several events are scheduled each year to give the public open access to this unique location and quides are on hand to explain the history and importance of this one of a kind location. As many as 40 years ago this location was the dream of nearby Summit Newspaper editor, Harry "Scoop" Sklenarz who envisioned a bycicle and hiking trail along the DesPlaines River and the original old Illinois-Michigan Canal canal which connected Lake Michigan to the Illinois River south of Lockport. The project became known as the Illinois Heritage Trail. Sklenarz, knowing he could not complete this project on his own chose another sincere historial named, Stanley Johnson, to help him take up the lobbying task and advertising project which eventually led to the Illinois legislature declaration of this historic site and trail as a state protected heritage project. Several local communities joined Hodgkins in supporting this special project. Some of them are the Villages of Summit, Lyons, McCook, Willow Springs, Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Justice, Lemont, Lockport, Forest View, Burr Ridge, Indian Head Park, Brookfield, the City of Countryside and the Township of Lyons. These comments are made from my imperfect memory and I claim no official status as a historian. Corrections are certainy welcome and appreciated.
Rev. John Struve, Wauwatosa, WI
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