Local news

Heritage Day and Caboose Dedication set for Aug. 9

HOWARD -- The Roland Curtin Foundation invites the public to its Annual Heritage Day at Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village on Sunday, Aug 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can enjoy a full day of traditional crafts, hands-on demonstrations and Pennsylvania history at one of Centre County's most treasured historic sites.

Admission to Heritage Day is $5 per person for everyone 11 years of age and older. Tickets are available at the gate.

This year's Heritage Day includes the official dedication and grand opening of the site's newest exhibit: a fully restored railroad caboose.

The caboose, along with the original cast-iron Curtin Village Road rail-crossing sign, a historic baggage wagon and numerous rail artifacts generously gifted by John and Joyce Gummo, have been accessioned into the Roland Curtin Foundation collection. Together, these pieces expand the story of rail transportation and its essential role in the success of Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village.

For more than a century, cabooses -- known on the Pennsylvania Railroad as "cabin cars" -- served as the essential tail end of every freight train, functioning as both rolling office and living quarters. They sheltered the conductor as he handled paperwork, the brakeman as he monitored the train for mechanical issues and shifting cargo and all crew members when it was time to cook, eat or rest.

Based on available evidence, but lacking definitive records, railroad historian Dwight Jones has concluded that the caboose gifted by John and Joyce Gummo was built in the early 1900s by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway at its shops in Huntington, W. Va. He suspects that the car was one of 25 "first generation system standard" eight-wheel wood cab cabooses constructed for C&O service at that time.

When Jones published his assessment in 2017, he was aware of only five surviving examples of this early C&O caboose type in preservation. This particular car later worked on the Meadow

River Railroad of the Meadow River Lumber Company at Rainelle, W. Va. After that operation closed in 1970, the caboose was reportedly sold for salvage and stood for years in a field in western Pennsylvania. John Gummo found the car there in 1982, moved it to his home in Clinton County and restored it for display alongside other railroad memorabilia.

The Bald Eagle Valley Railroad, with Pennsylvania Railroad oversight and funding, was extended eastward from Milesburg to Howard in the summer of 1864. That same year, the "Curtin" station was established on Eagle Iron Plantation, with freight-shipping capabilities and one eastbound and one westbound passenger train stopping at the station each day.

Caboose on the Move

Work began at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 29, to relocate the caboose from John and Joyce Gummo's Laurel Run Farm in Beech Creek. The first step was rolling the caboose out from beneath its storage roof.

Using a 100-ton crane owned and operated by Williamsport Crane and Rigging, Inc., crews lifted the caboose off its trucks -- the railroad term for wheel assemblies -- and placed it onto a flatbed truck provided by Carlisle-based Daily Express, Inc. The trucks were then loaded onto a second flatbed.

By 10 a.m., the two flatbeds, crane and crew from Rus Contracting were en route to Curtin Village. Travel through the valley on state Route 150 proceeded without incident, and the convoy successfully crossed the one-lane bridge over Bald Eagle Creek at Curtin. By 2 p.m., the caboose was in place at Eagle Iron Works, positioned along the historic Bald Eagle Railroad near the crane and the former sites of the company store and Curtin Station.

The project came to fruition thanks to the dedication, hard work and generous contributions of many partners: John and Joyce Gummo, who donated the caboose, rails and tie plates; the North Shore Railroad, which donated ties and spikes; volunteers Alan Uhler and Dan Durachko, who excavated the site and installed the display track, respectively; and other local volunteers, who assisted in various aspects to prepare the caboose for public access.

The relocation of the caboose was funded in part through generous support from the Centre County Board of Commissioners and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, whose commitment to heritage tourism helps preserve and share the story of Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village.

"Our next step is to construct a cover for the caboose with a future goal to expand the current rail display with the reconstruction of the "Curtin" station," said Sue Hannegan, president of the Roland Curtin Foundation, owners of the historic site. "Families, rail enthusiasts, historians and all who appreciate Pennsylvania's industrial and cultural history are especially encouraged to attend. Donations are graciously accepted for construction for the future expansion of the rail display."

The Caboose Dedication

The caboose dedication begins at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The ceremony of the caboose will include:

-- A look back at the decade-long caboose restoration by donors John and Joyce Gummo.

-- Recognition of the many volunteers and supporters who made the project possible.

-- Stories about local railroad legends by "King of the Hobos," Luther Gette.

-- A ceremonial Golden Spike Drive, where guests will take turns hammering in the final railroad spike before touring the caboose.

Discover Living History

Throughout the Heritage Day, the public can explore the sights, sounds and traditions of 19th-century Pennsylvania.

Meet skilled artisans including:

-- Shoemaker Rich Watters who is both a tailor and cobbler.

-- Herbalist Sue Morris who will demonstrate making natural health remedies.

-- Historians Phil Ruth and Matt Maris, sharing the stories of the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad and Bald Eagle & Spring Creek Navigation.

Fun for the Entire Family

Children can:

-- Play authentic Victorian-era games.

-- Hunt for historic furnace slag.

-- Learn the art of string making with the creative staff from Bald Eagle State Park.

Visitors can also:

-- Tour the restored herb garden with a Penn State Extension Master Gardener.

-- Watch a short film about the fascinating history of Curtin Village.

-- Take self-guided tours with knowledgeable volunteers stationed throughout the property.

-- Explore the ironmaster's mansion, furnace complex and workers village.

Great Music and Delicious Food

Guests are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live entertainment featuring:

-- Traditional Celtic music by the Celtic Nations Duo, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- The energetic rock sounds of Kidz at Heart, 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Scouting America Howard Troop 353 will be serving delicious summertime favorites for purchase from the Carriage House kitchen. Proceeds of the kitchen in part benefit the Scouts.

Help Preserve Local History

Founded in 1810 by Roland Curtin and Moses Boggs, Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village is one of Centre County's most significant historic landmarks and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In December 2025, ownership of the property transferred from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the Roland Curtin Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to preserving, restoring, and sharing this remarkable piece of Pennsylvania history.

Admission helps support the preservation and restoration of Curtin Village for future generations. For more information on the event, how to donate and/or get involved, visit curtinvillage.com, email curtinvillage@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.