Letter: Save the Spirit of Jasper

I am writing, hoping the community of Dubois County will come together to ask the city or county to rally support to stop the possible loss of a historical part of their community.

I am not sure if it is common knowledge, but when asking I heard there was a good possibility that Jasper may lose the Spirit of Jasper train. There are some issues that need to be addressed to make the cars safe for passenger transport, and it has been said the funds are not available for the repairs.

In visiting the train, I was impressed with how the community and its businesses had come together to pull a part of history to be interactive with folks of all ages. Local people and companies donated time and money to make someone’s vision of a unique experience come true. If you have never visited or taken an excursion it is an experience that makes you realize the work of generations past and the care that was taken to renovate and restore the train to what it is today.

People travel from all over to visit and enjoy an excursion on this train. Many of the excursions were sold out weeks in advance. When riding, you meet people from all over. The staff shares local establishments to visit that share other historical information, local eateries, and one-of-a-kind shops.

I have seen where funds are used in several other venues and areas that are major upgrades that I am sure are not a small expense, yet this historical piece of the community may soon be gone forever.

A Spirit of Jasper fan

DeAnn Dyson
Albion, Indiana