Soule' Steam Works Day

This Friday in downtown Meridian, will be Soule Steam Day, at the Soule Museum.

“Friday and Saturday the third and fourth this coming weekend, we will open the facility to the public,” says volunteer Curtis Friday. And when you come down to Soule Steam works, you will be walking down steam alley, which will be full of steam engines. The same engines that over 100 years ago, kept Meridian and the lumber industry booming.

“With the vision of Mr. Jim McCray and folks like Greg Hatcher and other folks volunteering. We have an example of what it was like 100 years ago to have a machine shop and keep equipment running.”

With refurbished engines, visitors will get a lesson, on old school machinery.

“These are examples of steam engines that were used primarily in the lumber industry, but a whole lot of other applications. And they had to have a place to repair such stuff. And I’ll mention now, the last commercial steam engine manufactured in the United States was actually made right here.”

And this weekend, you will get to relive the and learn about the why steam engines were so important to Meridian and the rest of the world.

“You will actually see the machine shop itself in operation. The wonderful kids from the technical school will actually operate the equipment for us. So, it will be up and running, the lines will be running so everybody will see exactly how it looked back in the 19 teens. Also, the foundry will be open, you will be able to tour and the tour guides will explain how all that worked over there.”