This article originally appeared in the “Goleta Depot Dispatch,” Volume 38, Number 2, Summer 2018.
We think old Ben Franklin would have approved. We’re talking about the little free library located in front of our museum gates. It is a terrific replica of our train depot and was lovingly constructed by long-time volunteer Clay Rushing.
Franklin launched America’s first lending library way back in 1731 when books were far too expensive for the average citizen. Franklin always liked ideas that showed we do better by working together. And what could be a better example of that than a free library? Certainly, too, our railroad museum — which depends entirely upon volunteer work and donations — embodies Franklin’s idea of building institutions that strengthen our community and remind us of our shared history.
Clay Rushing and his wife Beth have long manifested that Franklin spirit as ongoing volunteers at the museum. Among other accomplishments, Clay has replaced the flooring in the model RR room and painted the Depot’s exterior. Thank you, Clay and Beth!
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