From The Kalamazoo Gazette
Trip offers peek at Western Michigan University’s archaeological dig of old French trading post in Niles (with video)
Through a retired Western Michigan University librarian’s enthusiasm for train travel, a Kalamazoo-to-Niles rail trip to the WMU archeology department’s Fort St. Joseph excavation is planned for Aug. 14.
For the past several years the public has been invited to an annual open house at the 18th century French trading post in Niles to learn about the post and interact with archeologists excavating the site.
Now instead of driving there, individuals may attend the opening day of the two-day event as part of an organized train trip.
There is a cost for the Amtrak and short bus ride, but the open house will be free on both of its days, which this year fall on Aug. 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The theme is “Women of New France” and will feature exhibitions on cooking, sewing, quilting, dancing and other activities from that era; there will be re-enactors portraying what life was like at the post.
Retired librarian Kay Chase had the idea that a train trip to Niles would be a novel and enjoyable way for Kalamazoo-area residents to travel to the open house.
“I think people don’t think of this. They think of taking the train to far-off places,” said Chase, who also serves as an at-large executive board member of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, a train travel advocacy group.
“I’d like to turn people’s minds around a little bit. We could travel in our state to some of the destinations right here at home,” she said.
Officials at the Fort St. Joseph dig latched onto the idea and would like to make it an annual offering.
“Our goal is to bring as many people to the open house as possible so they can learn about Fort St. Joseph and see the community of Niles,” said Dorilee J. Schieble, director of development and marketing at the WMU College of Arts and Sciences.
At about 10:20 a.m., the train will leave Amtrak’s Kalamazoo station, located at 459 N. Burdick St., and arrive in Niles just after 11 a.m.
From the Niles station, participants will take a bus to the archeological site.
The Amtrak tickets are $22 or $27 per person, depending on whether the traveler is a senior citizen or not. Once in Niles, participants will take a bus to the dig site. Cost of the bus ride to the site is $3.
Travelers will stay at Fort St. Joseph until 3:30 p.m. and then take another $3 bus ride back to downtown Niles for dinner at one of the local restaurants; meals are not included in the price of trip. Food is also available at Fort St. Joseph.
Following dinner, the train will depart for Kalamazoo around 6:50 p.m. and arrive around 7:45 p.m.
Contact Chase at 269-903-8071 or kay.chase@wmich.edu by Monday, Aug. 9, to reserve a seat on the trip or for more information.
Learn more about Fort St. Joseph at www.wmich.edu/fortstjoseph.
Contact Paula M. Davis at pdavis@kalamazoogazette.com or 269-388-8583.
See a video for this story at:
http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/08/ride_a_train_into_the_18th_cen.html
