𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙜𝙖 – 𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧
𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘬𝘪

How does a group of “not the youngest of people” raise thousands upon thousands of dollars in just 7 months?

First of all, we bought a banner that said HELP US SAVE AND MOVE OUR TOWER!

Then we called on the Griffith Fire Department and asked them to put up the banner for us. The idea was everyone would see our message while waiting for trains to pass at our crossing.

This was in the year 2000. The internet and social media were in their infancies. So, how did one get the word out beyond our town?

We called the newspapers, who graciously published stories and photos about our efforts.

The very next day, the president of the Griffith Saving Bank called and gave us $1,000.

We were on our way!

Next, we wrote letters to any and all local, state and federal foundations, including the Lily Endowment.

Donald Trump had a casino boat in Griffith, so we contacted him. He gave us $100.

In the end, though, most donations came right from our town.

The schools stepped up. Beiriger held a Penny War that earned over $500.

The Griffith Junior/Senior High School had a walk-a-thon from their schools to our Historical Park and back. They raised over $500 for us.

We even had the honor to be written up in a newspaper column by Bo Kane, who grew up in Griffith and had a grandmother who lived right by.

Town organizations sent donations, and stores and businesses contributed to our cause.

Many of them put out Save The Tower mugs for us, so people we didn’t even know could donate to us.

Towns people who once worked for railroads or had a railroading heritage were very generous.

And friends from out of town, the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society, procured a $5,000 National Railway Heritage Grant for us.

The support we got from everyone was overwhelming and we will be forever grateful to them.

We were especially so on July 20th, 2000, when Dillabaugh, Inc. did what seemed impossible and moved a three story bright tower.

Out onto Broad Street at 9 o’clock, across the tracks and onto our property by lunchtime, standing above the new foundation at quitting time.

And the box of soap that was on a shelf in the upper room never moved. It was still in place when the boards were later removed and the building was opened up!

A historic job done by everybody involved, well done and ahead of schedule.