|
1977
|
Goleta
Valley Historical Society announces it will be unable to continue
with plans to save Goleta Depot, the community's most visible
landmark. |
| |
Vandals
and looters attack the abandoned building during the late
1970s. |
| 1979 |
Goleta
Beautiful initiates its own depot preservation effort. |
| 1980 |
Goleta
Beautiful creates Goleta Depot Committee. Core five members
are Gary Coombs (chairman), George Adams, Eugene Allen, Raymond
Baird, and Phyllis Olsen. |
| 1981 |
Land-ownership
suit by Kellogg heirs against Southern Pacific railroad is
settled. Depot building is offered to Goleta Beautiful. |
|
"Friends
of Goleta Depot" established (May) amidst lengthy fund-raising
campaign. "Depot Dispatch" newsletter issue #1 published
(June 5). |
|
Building
relocated to Lake Los Carneros County Park in dramatic day-night
move (Nov. 18-19). |
|
1982
|
Fund-raising
continues. Institute for American Research sponsors first
spring fundraiser, the "Asphalt Regatta" (April
24)
|
|
Building
is revitalized and reborn during year-long reconstruction
and restoration. |
|
Goleta
Depot is dedicated as Santa Barbara County Landmark No. 22
in formal re-opening ceremony (Oct. 10). |
|
|
Chamber
of Commerce, Audubon Society, Institute for American Research
become paying tenants. Waiting Room and Freight Office are
first museum areas. |
|
1983
|
Depot
and County lease are transferred to Institute for American
Research (March). |
|
|
Native
Sons of Golden West designate building a landmark (Nov. 19). |
|
|
First
"Depot Day" celebrated (Oct. 9). |
|
1984
|
Goleta
Depot's waybill box recovered from Goleta Lemon Assn. |
| 1985 |
Work
on model-railroad exhibit commences with grant support from
Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation. |
|
|
Standard-gauge
mainline and house-track are laid in front of depot (Last-spike
ceremony held Oct. 6.). |
|
|
Plans
for permanent 7.5-inch gauge miniature railroad around grounds
grow out of popularity of rides on temporary track during
third Depot Day (Oct. 20). |
|
1986
|
Museum
acquires S.P. bay-window caboose No. 4023. |
| 1987 |
Staff
leads first elementary-school class fieldtrip via Amtrak (April
23) to San Luis Obispo. |
|
|
Museum's
one-third-mile miniature railroad is completed to celebrate
Santa Barbara Rail Centennial. |
| 1988 |
Museum
plays key role in inauguration of Amtrak's San Diegan train
service to Santa Barbara (June 26). |
|
Museum
receives first of many General Operating Support Grants from
the Institute of Museum Services. |
| 1989 |
Volunteers
build handcar for rides at museum. |
|
Museum
acquires original Goleta Depot ticket box for Freight Office
display. |
|
Earl
and Rose Ann Hill establish Children's Program Fund. |
|
Museum
initiates annual participation in Summer Reading program of
Santa Barbara Public Libraries. |
| 1990 |
Theater
opens (Jan.; later named "Gandy Dancer Theater"). |
|
Museum
honored at White House awards ceremony (May 18). |
|
Shed
for handcar and miniature-train storage is completed. |
| 1991 |
New
name, "South Coast Railroad Museum at Goleta Depot"
adopted (April 11). |
|
First
annual holiday-season "Toy Trains and Teddy Bears"
exhibit is assembled. |
| 1992 |
Weekday
miniature-train rides initiated (March). |
|
Depot
exterior repainted with over $20,000 in grant funds from Santa
Barbara Foundation and County of Santa Barbara. |
| 1993 |
First
"Easter Bunny Express" event held (April 10). |
| |
First
"Holiday Train" event (Nov.-Dec.). Renamed "Candy
Cane Train" in 1994. |
| |
Miniature
railroad is named "Goleta Short Line" (Dec. 15). |
| 1994 |
Santa
Barbara Bank & Trust underwrites inaugural "Free
Rides for Moms" event (May 7) . |
| |
Planning
commences for interpretive program aboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight. |
| |
600
feet of track added to Goleta Short Line. |
| 1995 |
Goleta
National Bank sponsors first "Free Rides for Dads"
(June 18) . |
| 1996 |
Goleta
Depot is featured in "Great American Railroad Stations"
book by Janet Greenstein Potter. |
|
Accessibility
study of museum programs and facilities is funded by Alice
Tweed Tuohy Foundation. |
| 1997 |
House
track extended by 22 feet to allow repositioning of caboose. |
|
Spring
fundraiser becomes "Great Goleta Rail Race" (May
17). |
| 1998 |
Grounds
ravaged, several trees lost in El Nino storms. |
|
Coast
Starlight Interpretive Program begins (May). |
|
Major
improvements to museum grounds completed with grants from
Santa Barbara Foundation, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Alice
Tweed Tuohy Foundation and La Vista Foundation. |
|
Museum
participates in Goleta Amtrak Station opening (Sept. 19). |
| 1999 |
Inaugural
"March Madness" means free miniature-train rides
throughout the month. |
| 2001 |
Museum
celebrates Goleta Depot's 100th Anniversary. |
| 2002 |
Goleta
Depot is placed on the National Register of Historic Places
(Jan. 18). |
