Frisco Museum in Springfield kaput

[friscobob]

I heard from a friend (and verified it from those who know) that the Frisco Museum in Springfield, MO is closed. All the documents are stored elsewhere in Springfield (by another Frisco fan), and the caboose and Frisco passenger car (the Oklahoma City) is up for sale.

Alan Schmitt, the founder, started the Frisco Museum in his garage in Ash Grove, MO, and later moved it to Springfield in the former CTC building, east of the main yard.

Alan later left to pursue other interests and left the operations in the hands of others who apparently didn't seem too interested (or people-friendly, from what I've heard).

While it's good the documents are safe, it's a shame to lose a great source of Frisco information. :(

[friscobob]

Here's a more complete update, from the Frisco group in Yahoo!Groups:

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Friscomike" <friscomike@f...>
To: "FMIG Mailing" <frisco@n...>
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 12:54 PM
Subject: [FRISCO] Frisco Museum UPDATE

Greetings,

The following message is from Louis Griesemer. He introduces himself in
his
note. We owe a great debt in gratitude for him leading the effort to
save
the contents of the now defunct Frisco Museum. I will work with Mr.
Griesemer to make the museum contents available through the Frisco
Resource
Center.

Best Regards,
mike (yes, our Mike Corley, the Frisco forum mod)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Griesemer" <LAGriesemer@S...>
To: "Mike Corley (E-mail)" <conductor@f...>
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 12:17 PM
Subject: Frisco Museum

Mike,

First let me introduce myself. I'm Louis Griesemer from Springfield
Missouri. I've been a model railroader since 1966 and currently model
the
Frisco in N Scale (basement layout). I once was a member of the FMIG,
but
I got in about the time that Doug quit publishing the newsletter so I
have
not
been active.

My brother Vince lives in Ft. Collins, CO and is more active with the
FMIG.

I sometimes operate on Ron Williams layout in Springfield. I also am
friends with the following Frisco modelers in Springfield: Ron White,
Ray
Wells, John Sanders, Charlie Dischinger.

I once was on the Frisco Museum board. I will not speak for the
museum,
but the following is factual and I make it available to you to pass on
to
the
FMIG or other interested parties.

Feel free to contact me via email at any time. I will update you from
time to time on our progress if that is agreeable with you.

Louis Griesemer


FOR PUBLIC RELEASE:

The Frisco Museum collection and in particular, the research materials
have
been purchased by the Frisco Building, LLC which owns the Frisco office
building in Springfield Missouri.

When the museum began negotiations with other parties to sell parts of
the
collection, Louis Griesemer, former Museum director and current Manager
of
the Frisco Building, LLC, offered to purchase the entire collection in
order to keep the collection in Springfield.

The collection has been moved from the old Dispatcher's building on
Commercial Street to the Frisco office building at 3253 East Chestnut.

The collection is currently being inventoried by a volunteer team made
up of
former members of the museum board of directors and other Frisco
afficiandos
from the Springfield area. The archives will be inventoried and
cataloged
so that they may be searched for retrieval of information. Although
there
will be no research service provided, the intention is to allow access
to
the collection for purposes of doing research on the Frisco.

A primary goal will be to keep the collection intact and preserved.
Details
about access to the archives are still being worked out. Original
materials
will not be distributed so research projects will have to be conducted
at
the office building. Some materials may be made available to the public
through the Greene County Library.

In the future, as individuals or organizations do research projects,
there
is an opportunity for this information to be made available on the FMIG
website.


=================
Ship it on the Frisco
http://www.frisco.org
=================

Hopefully, we Frisco Folks will still have a source of reference for research.

There are already questions being raised as to this fellow's intentions, but I feel they are good ones, and at least the records didn't wind up in a Dumpster somewhere.