Museum volunteers honored

RITZVILLE - Members of the local museum board met Oct. 20 at Zion Congregational Church to honor two volunteers for their work this past year at historical sites.

Honorees included John Rankin and John Hunt.

Rankin, Flying Arts Ranch artist and local businessman, repaired a façade and fixed a damaged door at the town's historic railroad depot.

"John did an outstanding job," said Dale Anderson, vice president in charge of the depot for the Ritzville Museum Board. "He's a good neighbor and good friend."

Susie Kirkendall, vice president in charge of the Dr. Frank R. Burroughs Home, gave kudos to volunteer John Hunt.

"He repainted a sign in front of the Burroughs home and fixed an exterior light pole," she said. "John got a light pole from the city, refurbished it, ran electricity to it, painted it, installed it, and set the timer. He also found and installed two porch lights."

Depot volunteer L.R. Keith added his observations.

"Most railway stations had a chalkboard that listed schedules for the original Northern Pacific Railway trains," he said. "A few years ago, John Hunt installed an authentic chalkboard at the depot."

Anderson talked about recent visitors from Pullman Senior Center.

One railroad aficionado in the group said he'd visited many depots and museums, and Ritzville's depot was "the most authentic railroad depot he'd seen," Anderson recounted.

Ritzville's Railroad Depot Museum is home to a collection of turn of the century memorabilia, including a newly-restored Northern Pacific caboose and fully functional telegraphy equipment.

The Dr. Frank R. Burroughs home was built in 1889 and extensively remodeled in 1902 when electricity came to Ritzville. It contains a collection of vintage clothes and original furnishings.

"It's been a tough year since the COVID shutdowns," Kirkendall said. "Getting the museums up and running again, including the renovations on the Burroughs home, has been difficult. The work wouldn't be possible without volunteers."

Visitors can enjoy both museum sites during a 2-4 p.m. Christmas open house Dec. 10.