Teeter honored, caboose ribbon cutting held
By Staff, 09/14/17 1:05 PM
PRESCOTT – There was a double celebration at the Nevada County Depot and Museum Thursday morning.
John Teeter’s birthday was recognized. Teeter was a long-time curator of the museum and would have been 97 this year. There was also a ribbon cutting for the newly refurbished caboose sitting beside the museum.
Judy Duke, museum curator, read a statement from Kitty Sloan, Teeter’s niece, who was unable to attend due to health reasons. Teeter, the statement declared, had the vision of having a caboose at the museum as he realized the challenge of teaching railroad history.
Teeter enjoyed visiting classrooms and talking about railroad history. Children today, Duke read, will never see a caboose at the end of a train, or experience travel by rail the way it was. Rail travel, she said, has deep roots in this area and Teeter loved Prescott and its history.
During his life, he worked in the retail industry, was a former director of the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, a traveling salesman, helped establish the Nevada County Rescue Unit, was a former manager of the Nevada County Fair, a Boy Scout leader, member of the Kiwanis Club and a member of the National Weather Service for 35 years.
Duke said Teeter would take pictures of fair exhibits and, with this being the 80th year for the fair, she looked for them to put on display. However, she was unable to find any.
Passenger train service in Prescott ended in 1968, with the city buying the depot and turning it into a museum. The rail company had planned on demolishing the building, but Teeter worked toward getting it purchased instead.
Turning to the topic of the caboose, Duke said former curator Ken Petre and his family discovered the caboose at the P&NW building, though others knew it was there. They paid to have it moved to its current location, where others donated to get it refurbished. Duke said the steps and fence will be painted, completing the project.
The caboose was built in 920 and was where the conductor stayed with the brakeman and flagman. “A lot went on in the caboose,” she said. “It was home away from home for them. It has a bathroom, kitchen, storage and living area.”
The end of train devices took over for cabooses in the early 1980s, she said, eliminating the need for the caboose.
She said her goal at the museum is to show the history of Prescott and Nevada County.
