The official unveiling of an authentic 1888 caboose was held Sunday in Howell.

The public was allowed to tour the Grand Trunk Western Caboose now owned by the Howell Area Historical Society, which spent countless hours restoring it. Previously it had been was housed in the Grand Trunk Railroad Depot in Lansing, but had been allowed to deteriorate. It has since been brought to Downtown Howell where it now currently sits at the Depot Museum on Wetmore Street. Vice President of the Howell Historical Society Mike Mason tells WHMI that donations are needed to keep the future of restorations possible. "The upkeep on this is tremendous because it's all wood and every year you have to paint it. It's just one of those things and it costs money to do so."

The caboose was added to the society’s collection in 2011, and has been lovingly restored in the years since by a group of volunteers. The Michigan 5th Civil War Band also provided period tunes at Sunday’s event. The caboose will be open every Sunday until the end of October, coinciding with the Howell Farmers Market. (EO/JK)