WILMORE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Wilmore’s Railside Caboose Museum has been here on the edge of town for nearly 30 years. Inside, there's history on Wilmore dating back to 1750 and it's still growing.
For the last eight years, Ken Rickards has been this museum's curator. Until recently, he's lived in Wilmore since he graduated from Asbury College in 1974. He explains that the caboose has unique features that make it special. Now, he's taken on a years-long effort of researching and compiling the city's history in one place.
He says, "I think the museum, any museum, its primary goal is to tell a story."
The caboose was donated by the Norfolk Southern Foundation around 1993. Younger visitors can enjoy a model train, and everyone can enjoy photos of Wilmore as its railways and factories allowed it to grow.
Rickard says, "The railroads in the early, mid to late 1800s were the interstate highway of the day. Every town in America wanted a train run through their tracks."
Rickard’s collection of Wilmore history explains how changes in industry and railway advancements brought more tourism into the city. He says in the future he'd like for someone to continue the research. He says that while living in the present and thinking about the future is valuable — learning about the past can reshape perspectives on where you are.
He shares, "They don't know anything about the farm that their houses were built on, they don't know anything about the farmers, they don't know anything about the pioneers that cut the trees to build their log cabin. So, I guess if you don't know your history, you just sort of live in the now, and you're maybe repeating your history."
The Railside Caboose Museum is open the third Thursday of every month, during special city events, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. It's encouraged that people from the community and from the surrounding areas come and check out Wilmore’s history.
