Caboose and Railroad Shanty

Railroad Shanty History

The railroad shanty was oritionally known as the State Line Station.  In 1869 the depot was on the west side of Pa Route 14 on thw west side of the tracks near a creek.  They Northern Central Railroac can be seen on this map running through Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  Map is from 1895

The Railroad Shanty was donated to the Heritage Village and Farm Museum by Robert and Emelia Tomko. The shanty sat vancant on their farm property which was bought in 1967.  Before they knew the history of the building they used it as a pig pen.

It was believed that the telegraph office was located off Sopertown Road in Columbia Cross Roads, Pa.  Dale Palmer (Board Memeber), envisioned the resotred telegraph office educating the younger generation about the telegraph on the way people used to communicate.  Dale tells us that he believes the building was a telebraph office in Columbia Cross Roads around the 1800’s.  He pointed to the hole in the side of the building where the telegraph line once went through. .

Telegraph was developed around the 1830’s to 1840’s by Samuel Morse and others to revoluntionize the long distance communication.  Samuel Morse (1791-1872) developed the Morse Code that assigned a set of dots and dashes to each letter of the English alphabet that allowed messages to be transmitted across telegraph lines.  

Exhibit in Progress 1884 Wooden Soo Line Caboose

This exhibit is from a Donation by the Foust Estate.  The railroad passed through the museum grounds from 1854 – 1972.  The Caboose was placed on the old railroad bed at the museum Febuary 2, 2026.  Plans to restore the caboose to it’s origional appearance and working era are curently underway.  The caboose was in operation from 1884-1975.  Progress pictures to follow once completed.