With the arrival of September one cannot help but wonder at the speed in which our warm weather days flew past and what happened during all that time. It helps to mentally review a few summer events.
Astute observers driving past Sanborn’s city park may have noticed something different around the caboose; the old landscaping material and overgrown plant matter have been replaced by new mulch and edging which presents a clean, uncluttered appearance. Trees are trimmed and new planters adorn the brick plaza to the west. The caboose interior was also brought up to snuff in a way that would please the most discerning conductor of old.
All this was accomplished as a portion of a much larger city wide project conducted by the volunteers of Reformed Mission Services (RMS). This organization consists of member churches throughout the United States and Canada that seek to mobilize the body of Christ through local churches to promote the Gospel. RMS hosts multiple Teens Actively Serving Christ (TASC) events during summer months to allow teenagers an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ serving others while enjoying fellowship with other teens from around the country. The Sanborn Cornerstone United Reformed Church hosted a TASC event in Sanborn mid June and the impact was felt at over twenty locations throughout town. Teens and sponsors painted, pulled weeds, landscaped, replaced siding, trimmed trees, repaired roofs, poured a sidewalk and constructed a fence among other projects. Sanborn Preservation is very grateful to the TASC group for the wonderful job they did in and around the caboose. Special thanks to the local sponsors who volunteered time, equipment, labor, etc. and organized the TASC visit. For more information on RMS or TASC, see rms.org/2022-sd-clay or contact Jim Iwema, promotions coordinator at jim@rms.org.
In a seperate volunteer project, Lee Schmidt fashioned a sturdy base for the 1890 Presbyterian Church bell now located on the Carnegie property and set the 462 pound bronze relic closer to the building. Purchased through the efforts of the Presbyterian Ladies Aid, the bell arrived in Sanborn on December 24th, 1890 and was installed immediately; its clear tones first rang out across town the next day– Christmas morning! Ron Schott rang it again to the delight of those who attended Sanborn Preservation’s “Meet and Greet” during Railroad Days. The event held at theCarnegie was enjoyed by a nice crowd and everyone appreciated hearing the “voice” of that historic bell float through the air once again. As a community we all take great pleasure in sharing, preserving and enjoying items from our area’s past, always mindful of the efforts and contributions of those who have gone before us.
Fay Schall
Sanborn Preservation