A project to relocate a historic railroad monument and accompanying time capsule has been completed, with the monument moving just a little ways down the road.

Earlier this month a crew from the Escalon Public Works Department including Juston Collins, Sal Castillo and Jake Cook, assisted by P & L Concrete owner Jeff Francis, placed the Escalon Historical Society’s railroad monument near the end of the caboose in Main Street Park.

“The monument and attached time capsule had been in front of the old city hall building on Main Street,” explained Historical Society President Barb Willis. “Since the city offices have moved to ‘new digs’ on McHenry Avenue and the old building has been put up for sale, the monument needed to be relocated.”

Interim City Manager Tammy Alcantor added it was determined the best location and orientation for the monument would be adjacent to the historic caboose and the move was on.

“This monument had originally been put in place in 1995 and had been dedicated to the pioneers of the Escalon community and the surrounding area,” said Willis.

Included in the time capsule that was buried in 1995 were histories of some local residents including Lynn Gentry, the Mayor of Escalon at that time; Tony Gonzales, former Constable of Dent Township; Albert Johnson, local farmer; Mary Loumena, a charter member of the Escalon Historical Society; as well as a letter from William Campbell, former area resident and Pony Express rider; and a history up to that time of the Barbie Doll.

The monument itself is inscribed with a brief history of the community, tracing Escalon’s roots to the arrival of the railroad, noting that “This railroad town came to life when the San Francisco – San Joaquin Valley Railroad came through in 1895.”