by J.J. Lamb of the Vail Preservation Society
Six-year-old Willie ran excitedly into his new home at Marsh Station. The beautiful wooden shingle roof had been painted green, it came to a point over the center of the house. Such a big beautiful home. He ran straight to the corner of the parlor across from the cast iron stove that would keep the family warm in winter. This became his favorite place. Willie would have 19 brothers and sisters, 14 of them shared the four room home with their mother Luciana and father Jesus Haro. Jesus was the Marsh Station Section Foreman; the home came with the responsibilities of the Southern Pacific Railroad job.
Meals were shared in the kitchen that welcomed the family with a big, bubbling pot of frijoles and Luciana’s homemade tortillas. Brothers and sisters shared fun times on the big front porch and exploring the desert around their home about 8 miles east of Vail. At Christmas, the children wrote notes to Santa that would be placed in the cast iron stove by their mother so that the messages would be sent to Santa by the smoke rising from the chimney as it followed the desert winds to the North Pole. The home was filled with life and the laughter of children.
The home has moved three times and is now at the center of Esmond Station K8. Working with the Vail Preservation Society, Cienega High School Construction Tech students have been rehabilitating the house over the past four years, gaining lifelong skills and making a lasting local impact. Through their work the house will be the home to the school’s Heritage Garden program, the Section Gang Student Art Gallery and the Section Gang Museum Club exhibit. It will be a hub for student activities, a place to develop leadership skills and backdrop for events. The home will be filled with life and the laughter of children again.
Celebrate the accomplishments of Cienega High Construction Tech students, the Section Gang Museum Club and all of the big plans for the 1915 Section Foreman House (SFH) on October 26th from 4:00 – 5:30 PM at Esmond Station K8. Discovering the common threads that connect history to place and community members to their heritage is the mission of the Vail Preservation Society. Historic preservation at its best brings partners together, builds relationships, serves present needs and lays a foundation for an inspired future.
