By QUINN MULLER
Photo Credit: Quinn Muller
The Laurel Museum has reopened its doors with a new exhibit exploring the history of trains, trolleys and railroads. The exhibit, “Laurel Rides the Rails: Tales of Trains and Trolleys,” opened in early February and will run through mid-December. It features stories highlighting Laurel’s history on the rails.
“I want them first to read everything, learn the stories, learn about the history,” Luis Vaca-Soto, the interim director of the Laurel HIstorical Society (LHS), said. “But I also want people to participate in it, to look at things and say, you know, how does this affect me?”
The exhibit focuses on the B&O Railroad stops in Laurel and a trolley that ran down Main Street. Various panels depict train wrecks, fires and special train promotions to bring people to Laurel Park for the races.
Courtesy of Luis Vaca-Solo.
The historical society drew on archives of The Laurel Leader and the Baltimore Sun for background. Museum researchers also turned to the Library of Congress, and the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore provided information, in particular, about the poorly documented role African Americans played in building the rail system, Vaca-Soto said.
Throughout the research, there were some surprises.The historical society learned about Theresa Blue-Brown, an African American woman who worked on the Railway Express from 1942 to 1960. She attended St. Vincent Pallotti High School and her son later attended Laurel High School though both schools were thought to be segregated, according to Vaca-Soto.
Vaca-Soto noted that the exhibit showcases many donations from city residents, local businesses and churches. Vaca-Soto hopes to expand the exhibit with additional information panels and a train garden.
“It’s more engaging, more fun, more accessible rather than just like throwing history straight at you,” Vaca-Soto said, of the new exhibit.
Vaca-Soto said his biggest hope is that visitors share their perspectives and histories with him about the stories that the museum tells.
“I want the community to come in,… to tell us what they want from us and what we could do,” he said.
LHS, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will host its annual gala at the Great Room at Savage Mill in April. The event will also honor LHS co-founder, Elizabeth Compton, who died in February.
The Laurel Museum is at 817 Main Street and is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
