FAIRVIEW TWP. — When longtime friends Steve McGinnis and Eric Aigeldinger revitalized the Mountain Top Historical Society in 2018, the question of what to do with a weed ravaged parcel of land along Route 309 eventually came up.
“Someone made a joke at our meeting and said, ‘Well, lets get a caboose!’” Mountain Top Historical Society Vice President Steve McGinnis recalled.
That person might have been kidding, but McGinnis took the jest to heart and four years later, a historic caboose donated by Reading Northern Railroad arrived from Towanda to its new home.
That caboose, now restored and painted red, represents the rich railroad history in the area. On Monday, the land the caboose now occupies was dedicated to the late Frank and Adeline Orloski, whose family graciously donated the parcel in their name to the historical society.
The ceremony was led by Judge Richard Hughes and Mountain Top Historical Society President Scott Hilenski, who both gave welcome remarks.
Frank and Adeline’s son, Frank Orloski, made brief remarks as well, on behalf of his family.
“My parents were certainly people that were supportive of the community of Northeast PA and this would make them very happy to have this here for future generations to come. I just wanna say thank you for the recognition of Mom and Dad,” he said.
Orloski family members who were present during the ceremony helped to unveil the dedication plague, set in stone, that now sits at the edge of the property.
The inscription described Frank and Adeline as “generous benefactors to the Mountain Top Historical Society” whose “legacy lives on through the gift of this property for generations to come.”
Senior Vice President of the Passenger Department at the Reading and Northern Railroad Matt Fisher also spoke at the ceremony.
“What a beautiful spot next to so many people going on two state highways here. A great addition to the community,” Fisher said.
The caboose is not the only historical treasure that occupies the land.
One of the rails the caboose is currently resting on dates back to the 1940s and is from the Penobscot Rail Yard, which was built in 1837.
An original Keystone Marker also sits on the land, as well as a a flag pole that originally stood next to the former Fairview High School, which burned down in 1977.
The pole was later recovered and restored by members of the Historical Society.
Inside the caboose are various photos showcasing the history of the railroad in Mountain Top, including a black and white photo of the Glen Summit Hotel, which built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad and was located in Mountain Top in the 1880s.
“What has happened up here has changed the entrance to Mountain Top for everyone,” Hughes said during his closing remarks. “It’s not a joke.”
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