A previous column focused its attention on Carl Steiert, the founding father of the Black Diamond Historical Society (BDHS), whose efforts led to the establishment of the museum in the old railroad depot seen to the right of the locomotive. This photo shows the depot to the right of the train during the period from 1910-1913 when rail travel was the norm. The photographer was Maude Shorey, who went by several other names and preserved this image on a glass slide. This northbound train was pulled by engine No. 18 of the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, which operated on tracks serving coal mining towns in King County. At the far left is the Black Diamond Hotel building and meat market, which burned to the ground during a June 1913 fire. The actual railway station was built in 1886, just four years after Black Diamond’s establishment. It closed as a depot in the 1930s when rail traffic was displaced by automobiles. The depot building was next used as a restaurant, then a library, a telephone exchange, an office for the water department, and later for storage of city maintenance supplies. In 1976 renovation and restoration of the structure was undertaken by volunteers, with a vision towards opening a museum in this historic structure. The museum was dedicated on June 6, 1982, to honor the 100th anniversary of Black Diamond’s founding. The depot grounds now support a variety of historical displays including a locomotive, the old jail, and coal mining replicas. This Saturday, May 7th from 1 to 5 pm, BDHS celebrates the 40th anniversary of its founding. There will be entertainment by Steve Israel, singing coal mining songs and Ted Vigil, a John Denver tribute artist. The event will be held across the street from the museum at the Black Diamond Eagles, 32618 Railroad Avenue. Research for this caption was provided by JoAnne Matsumura, Ken Jensen, and Keith Watson. The photo comes courtesy of the Black Diamond Historical Society. Submitted by Bill Kombol.