Yreka Western Railroad Marker - Yreka, CA
N 41° 43.814 W 122° 37.941
10T E 530576 N 4619889
This historical marker contains a grammar fax paus and is located at the corner of S Foothill Dr and E Center St. near the Yreka Western Railroad station in Yreka, CA.
Waymark Code: WMJFN8
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2013
Views: 5
Nothing troubles me more than reading a very nice historical marker and catching an obvious grammar error. Such was the case when coming across the following historical marker that reads:
IN RESPONSE TO THE DECISION OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY TO BYPASS YREKA
AND RUN IT'S MAINLINE THROUGH SHASTA VALLEY, THE YREKA RAILROAD WAS BUILT AND
COMMENCED OPERATIONS JANUARY 9, 1889.
IN 1933 THE RAILROAD WAS INCORPORATED AS THE YREKA WESTERN RAILROAD. 1935
BROUGHT HARD TIMES WHICH WERE OVERCOME UNDER THE DIRECTION OF O. G. STEELE.
IN 1986 THE CITY OF YREKA COMMENCED THE SUMMER EXCURSION TRAIN KNOWN AS
THE BLUE GOOSE AND TODAY YREKA WESTERN CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS A WORKING
RAILROAD AFTER OVER 100 YEARS OF SERVICE.
THIS PLAQUE DEDICATED SEPTEMBER 22, 1990
BY THE HUMBUG CHAPTER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS AND THE SISKIYOU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
I've come across the misuse of this possessive many times, but it's more frustrating to see it on a PERMANENT marker such as this one. In addition to the misspelling of the word 'ITS' I noticed a sentence that needed the letter 'A' to make it read much better. I've included that in the plaque text above.
Through doing some online research regarding this historic railroad I discovered that it has fallen on hard times, financially. In fact, there was a recent newspaper article highlighting the local sheriff's selling or auctioning off the locomotive that has been used to take sightseers of the Blue Goose Excursion along the railroad tour for the past 25-plus years. The sale was to satisfy a debt of the owners of the locomotive and railroad station property. Unfortunately, a lawsuit has been filed by another party who is also owed outstanding debts by this troubled railroad business.