Seaboard Station Railroad Museum recently issued the following announcement.
A travelling exhibit from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, “Move Over, Sir: Women Working on the Railroad” will be displayed at the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum through Sunday, June 6, 2021. “Move Over, Sir!” traces the contributions that women have made to the railroad industry over the past 150 years, calling out specific women and their unique contributions to the industry. Located at 326 North Main Street, Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum is currently operating with reduced visitor capacity and hours. Admission is free; please reserve a time in advance, selecting one of six specific time slots: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.; and calling 757.514.4135. Each group may reserve up to eight guests. Visitors to the museum are required to wear a mask while in the building and hand sanitizer has been made readily available.
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: Centuries of American history have seen gender wielded as a weapon to limit women’s opportunities within the workplace. Despite this, during wartime and periods of economic upheaval, women slowly transitioned into positions of authority, knowledge and skill in all areas of the workforce – including at American railroads. In fact, women have served in critical railroad roles since the early 19th century, working to build America right alongside men. When the railroad allowed the American public to move westward, it not only opened up possibilities for men seeking their fortunes, but also for women seeking opportunities outside of the home. In the late 1830s and 40s, telegraph lines expanded alongside new railroad tracks and created new professional opportunities for women, despite continuing social norms discouraging women working outside of the home and interacting with the public. Early pioneer women telegraphers were still the exception rather than the rule, but they blazed a trail for women to follow in the century of progress to come.
About Union Pacific Railroad Museum:
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is housed in a historic Carnegie Library building in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where visitors will discover an extensive compilation of artifacts, photographs, documents and equipment from more than 150 years of our nation's most ambitious endeavors – including constructing the transcontinental railroad and settling the West. Among the most popular museum exhibits are "America Travels by Rail," which celebrates the height of passenger travel; the Lincoln Collection, featuring artifacts from President Abraham Lincoln's rail car and funeral; and an exhibit that features the technology and innovation that sustain Union Pacific as a railroad industry leader. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum’s mission is to promote a sense of connectedness that’s shared by generations of people whose personal and family histories have been touched by the railroad.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Seaboard Station Railroad Museum
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