Gilchrist Supports Sioux City Railroad Museum’s Newest Projects
The Sioux City Railroad Museum is back. After being shut down for much of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this local attraction has been busy re-welcoming the public. The Gilchrist Foundation has helped fund two of its newest projects.
Storytelling Saturdays
Beginning on June 19 and running on Saturdays until mid-September, the museum is holding live theatrical performances called “Storytime Saturdays.” This special live performance is bringing the past the life for museum visitors. Actors dressed in railroad attire are stationed at five different railroad storytelling stations across the site to describe life on the Milwaukee Railroad. The live performances last about 10 minutes and run throughout the day from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This program is funded by The Gilchrist Foundation, Iowa Arts Council, Humanities Iowa and the Siouxland Community Foundation.
Archaeological Dig Site
The Sioux City Railroad Museum will host an archeological dig this fall. Three archaeologists from the University of Iowa will survey the site, searching for evidence of remains from the construction labor camps dating back to 1916 – 1918 when the complex was constructed. The archeological survey will include shovel tests to find cultural artifacts in the ground. The archeologists will also take photos, examine historical images and conduct a reconnaissance survey to become familiar with the environmental, natural and human-altered characteristics of the area. A groundbreaking was held on July 21 to kick off the project.
The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association received grants from the Gilchrist Foundation and the State Historical Society of Iowa to study archeological artifacts from the camps and create online educational resources and documentary films about transportation-related archeology and preservation of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City.
About the Sioux City Railroad Museum
Founded in 1995 by the City of Sioux City and the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association, the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District encompasses the former Sioux City Engine Terminal and Car Repair Shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway.
The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association operates as a private non-profit museum in Sioux City through its ownership of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District. The Sioux City Railroad Museum provides exhibits, public programs and special events to further the public’s understanding of the railroad industry and its industrial heritage. The museum sits on a 32-acre historical site that in its heyday, the 1920s and 1930s, was the 10th largest railroad center in the United States.
About the Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation is proud to support the Sioux City Railroad Museum. In 2020, the museum was awarded a project grant for $52,078 from the Foundation to fund its Roundhouse Story Initiative: Art in the Railyard. These types of projects align with the Foundation’s philanthropic efforts. The Foundation was established by Jocelyn Gilchrist in December 1998 to honor her family and their interests in parks, wildlife and conservation, the arts and public broadcasting. Jocelyn’s father, William Gilchrist, was an influential part of the livestock industry in the early and mid-1900s. The wealth he accumulated supports the family’s interests. After Jocelyn died, the Foundation continued in her memory to support the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family.
Organizations whose interests align with the Foundation are encouraged to investigate how to apply for a grant.