Events, Programs & Exhibits
National Train Day
PROGRAM - Ultimate Family Reading Experience
Wauseon-born author Merrill Wyatt’s popular mystery novel “Tangled up in Luck” has come alive through a new interactive reading experience now available at the Museum of Fulton County. Families will enjoy looking for clues at real-life Wauseon locations featured in the story to solve the mystery. Participating families will also be invited to an exclusive author book signing event at the museum.
The novel “Tangled up in Luck” is a fast-paced adventure and enjoyable mystery set in small-town Wauseon. While the book is written for children ages 8-12, older youth and adults also love this funny mystery about overly enthusiastic middle schoolers with a talent for sniffing out trouble!
Author Merrill Wyatt shares, “It all began with the mystery of the long-lost Hoal jewels. Someone had stumbled across the forgotten fact that the jewels even existed. That same someone wanted very badly to find them — by using the seventh grade to uncover hidden clues. What that person never counted on was two of those seventh graders putting all the clues together. That person never expected a couple of kids to try to get to the jewels first. Thirteen million dollars can motivate some people to do all sorts of dreadful things”.
The new “Ultimate Family Reading Experience” package includes a miniature steamer trunk filled with the novel, a travel journal, detective’s magnifying glass, compass, and activities to navigate families through their journey from 1887 to today. The experience package also includes an invitation to the special book signing event to be held this fall at the museum. The experience package is available for $39.95 at the museum’s Legacy Gift Shop. The package may also be purchased online.
“This experience is an opportunity for families to read the book and hunt for clues at Wauseon locations featured in the story,” shared Doris Piercefield, business operations manager at the Museum of Fulton County. “Families can enjoy this experience at their own pace and if they are as clever as the story’s detectives and solve the puzzle, they will find ‘real’ jewels at the end!”
Available for purchase at Legacy Shop or online!
EVENT - HOBO DAY
Enjoy an afternoon of fun and delicious food as you discover the true adventures of hobos during the Museum of Fulton County’s annual Hobo Day. This free, family event will be held on Saturday, September 28 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Wauseon Depot.
“We look forward to having families and friends gather at the historic Wauseon Depot for our annual Hobo Day,” shared John Swearingen, director of the Museum of Fulton County. “This popular fall event is a fun opportunity to get together with others in the community for a delicious meal, fun activities, and the chance to learn a little more about our local history.”
Guests of all ages will enjoy exploring the old New York Central Depot and learning about model trains. A real “Hobo Dinner” will also be served at this community event. Guests can enjoy a delicious meal of sausage, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, corn bread, dessert, and a beverage. A free will donation is suggested to help cover the expenses of this traditional meal.
“Hobos were unemployed men who travelled across the country looking for work. With no employment prospects at home, they would take to the rails in search of any job,” Swearingen shared. “Many hobos would travel for free by jumping on and off the box cars of trains. At the height of the Great Depression, it is estimated that nearly 20,000 men were hobos. These men created their own culture with a unique language and foodways.”
The Wauseon Depot is located at 225 Depot Street in downtown Wauseon. Built in 1896, the depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and currently houses railroad artifacts and a model train display. It served passengers of the railroad until the mid-1970s. The depot is currently owned by the City of Wauseon and is managed by the Fulton County Historical Society.
The Hobo Day is presented annually by the Museum of Fulton County which features the permanent exhibit “Preserving the Past, Embracing the Present, and Making the Future”. Two special exhibits are also on display – the “All Aboard” Train exhibit and a new “We the People” exhibit (opening October 2). Other special events planned this year include the Haunting History Tours on October 25 and 26 and the Christmas at the Cabin event held in December at the fairgrounds.
EXHIBIT - All Aboard! Train Exhibit
A new All Aboard! train exhibit at the Museum of Fulton County allows guests to journey back in time to explore the history of trains in this region. The interactive exhibit featuring train and depot artifacts, model trains, and hands-on activities focuses on the people who worked on and around the railroad.
“Since 1852, electric trollies, steam and diesel engines have crisscrossed the county and helped each village to thrive,” shared John Swearingen, Jr., director of the Museum of Fulton County. “Our new All Aboard! train exhibit shares information about the four railroad company lines that ran through the county including the New York Central, Wabash, Detroit Toledo and Ironton, and the Toledo & Western and Toledo & Indiana electric interurban railroads (cable cars). We are also telling the stories of local people involved with the railroad including passengers, depot employees and community members.
Located in the Worthington Gallery at the museum, this temporary exhibit features a variety of railroad-themed artifacts from train depots across Fulton County including tools, signals, lanterns, telegraph machines, and uniforms. Thanks to the Swanton Area Railroad and Model Train Club, the exhibit also includes a working model train display. Guests will love watching the Wabash and New York Central model trains travel round and round the homes, barns and shops representing a typical Fulton County landscape. Other exhibit highlights include a playhouse switch/watch tower where kids can catch all the action on the model train display, a monumental-sized storybook about trains, and a toy train set for toddlers to enjoy. There is a telegraph morse code game and a variety of other hands-on crafts focused on the railroad history theme.
“Guests exploring the new train exhibit are immersed in railroad history as they meet real people from our past including postmaster Bertha Emmons, Wabash crew member Grover Merillat, telegraph operator Esther Stone, signal operator Alva Shull, and many others,” Swearingen added.
