DUNSMUIR, Calif. — Below the fog-covered foothills of Black Butte Mountain in Siskiyou County lies the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture, a historic railroad junction beloved beloved by train enthusiasts and history buffs.
The term "hobo" may carry a negative connotation today, but from the 1870s to 1930s, it represented the “Hoe Boy” or “Homeward Bound." During this period, hobos were often traveling farm workers or soldiers hitching train rides home from the Civil War.
“It's part of the history of railroading that often gets neglected by more mainstream museums,” said Bruce Shoemaker, the co-founder of the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture, a nonprofit preserving unwanted railroad relics.
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At the heart of the center is a 1923 refrigerator railcar housing what may be the only Hobo Library in California. The library is a carefully curated collection of hobo-related art, music and stories, including works by folk singer and activist Utah Phillips.
“This is where he wrote a lot of his songs. This is where he was living,” said Shoemaker.
Utah Phillips family donated the old railcar he used to live in to the Center for Railroad Culture. Visitors can tour the inside and learn about the hobo lifestyle he once lived.
“Visitors are so stoked, especially if they're musicians. We make sure to let them stay in here,” said Shoemaker.
The center is a welcome mat of sorts for railroad music, art and of course, unwanted railroad relics. This includes the 1888 passenger car, previously owned by a museum lacking the funds for restoration.
At first glance, you will notice the eight railcars and the cabooses, many of which are music spaces, art galleries and living quarters.
“We're not really a traditional museum that just restores something exactly like it was when it was built and leaves it like that. We like to be repurposed,” said Shoemaker.
The center isn’t a museum in the traditional sense. Instead of meticulously restoring artifacts, it reimagines them for contemporary use. The antiques become a place for visitors to celebrate railroad culture old and new.
To visit the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture, request a tour through their website at bbcrc.org.
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