Celebrating Central Illinois: Effingham Museum shows off historic train set

EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — History is an important piece of education to hold onto, not just as memorabilia, but as a way to appreciate where we came from.

The Effingham Museum holds onto its history by the rails on the train tracks. It might seem like a small mark on Central Illinois history, but at the Effingham County Cultural Center and Museum, the train set steams through decades of its history.

In 2009, the building was about to be torn down when the now President of the Museum, Delaine Donaldson, helped to form the nonprofit museum that stands today.

“I always tried to make a connection between things that we had within the history book, which was about national history, but that there always was a connection that we could make with what was taking place in this area,” Donaldson said.

They repurposed the building into the museum, and started building the train set in the summer of 2012. Now, the table is all filled up with Effingham history, even displaying the first people to settle in this area.

“People who were who lived in this area or the Kickapoo people, prior to the white people coming into the area.”

Each window pane, blade of grass and figurine was created by hand by a volunteer couple.

“You can’t buy kits for these these have to be made from scratch,” Donaldson added.

The set displays the importance of the railroads.

“Railroads became a vital part of Effingham County in the 1850s and beyond; and we had a number of railroads that came into our town.”

The set includes the St. Anthony Hospital and even the high school buildings that were built in the 1890s.

“We were over in this section right in through here and just a little bit beyond,” Donaldson said. “And on the second floor, I remember having shop class down in the basement of this.”

Donaldson says history is vital to creating a sense community, and that even though Effingham is a small town, appreciating where you come from can make a big impact on what happens next.

“I can’t do anything significant, you know, I’m just a small town kid and the like,” Donaldson said. “And yet, we know that we can take examples from people who live locally who had an impact upon the nation.”

The Effingham County Cultural Center and Museum is open Tuesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., but the President said you can give him a call and he’d be happy to take you on a tour.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.