the restored burlington northern depot & wwii memorial museum

The depot was first completed in 1903 and was restored and rededicated in December 2003, on the 100th anniversary of the first dedication. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. The original green, gold and brown colors in the arched windows in the central exhibit room were beautiful. The depot was restored and is staffed entirely by volunteers. Admission is free but donations are greatly appreciated. We were lucky enough the day we stopped that the executive director was in and available to give us a guided tour. Her vast knowledge about the history, architecture and restoration of the depot and background behind The People's Art exhibit made for an informative and enjoyable tour. Open hours vary by the day of the week, so check the calendar on their website or call to confirm open dates and hours.The museum's central exhibit area was showing The People's Art - a collection of a hundred years of art calendars the Thos. D. Murphy Company of Red Oak published from 1889 til 1989. As giveaways, calendars were an efficient mode of advertising for businesses before the advent of television and radio commercials. Murphy Company's art calendars featured fine-art reproductions, appealing photographs, illustrations and later, color transparencies. Artists include Frederick Remington, Charles Russell, Maynard Reese, James Stuart, Arthur Elsley, etc. The collection was called The People's Art because these calendars were often the only artwork found in American homes at the turn of the century and early 20th century. The vintage calendars on display with their bold color lithography and amusing advertising messages were definitely the highlight of our day in Red Oak.