Harvest Festival takes look back
WAYNESBURG – Like many attending the Greene County Historical Society’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, Jim Weinschenker looked for history in his own back yard, instead of seeking it in faraway places. It helped that a railroad track ran through the yard behind the home where he grew up.
It all started with the train set he had as a child, and today Weinschenker continues to show off his love for the railroad with “No. 4,” an old-fashioned locomotive with a mostly black paint job that is obviously much younger than the engine itself. It sits silently at the end of a line of railroad tracks at the historical society’s museum, where it serves as one of the cornerstones of the Harvest Festival.
He said most people have a similar reaction when they see the locomotive and start asking questions. He said the usual reaction is, “Oh, there was a railroad in Waynesburg?”
He also has an extensive collection of memorabilia, including old tickets, stock certificates and more than 200 unpublished old photographs. Weinschenker is also looking for more photos and memorabilia for his book.
The railroad once was vital to transportation. Waynesburg had a narrow-gauge railroad, 36 inches wide, which helped with the hills and the 174 curves in the 20-mile stretch from Waynesburg to Washington, said Weinschenker. Today, most railroad tracks are about 4 feet wide. The grades were also steeper than railroads are today, but it was still the best transportation available at the time.
“No. 4” was built in 1916 by Alco Cooke, and there were seven of its kind in its heyday, said Weinschenker. Passenger service with the Waynesburg railroad ended in July 1929, and freight hauling ended in 1933. The rails for the line were removed in 1978.
But “No. 4” was only one reminder of the past at the Harvest Festival. Members of the Union 140th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and the Confederate 31st Virginia Co. H, based in Philippi, W.Va., conducted Civil War re-enactments.
The re-enactors set up camp Friday and will stay until Sunday evening, after the festival is over.
Sgt. Doug Wilson of the 140th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry said the unit does two or three re-enactments a month, usually at festivals and schools. Wilson is an 11-year re-enactment veteran.
The 140th has members from surrounding counties and even a few members in California and Oregon who participate when they are in the area. Some of these members had ancestors from this part of the country.
Elsewhere on the museum grounds, Debra Sevec from the West Union Presbyterian Church said business at their pie tent was “wonderful,” despite the chilly weather Saturday.
Brenda Giles, administrator of the historical society, said the festival was going well, considering the weather, but the turnout was smaller than usual.
The historical society offers programs at local schools, said Giles, adding that there seems to be a growing interest in history among children. The festival will continue until 5 p.m. today.