Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society (Out of Many, One display)

Caboose at Old Oroville Depot Museum

This is a Burlington Northern Caboose that has been repainted in the color and style of the Great Northern Railway, which ran through our town beginning in 1907.

How it represents the community’s American experience:

When the Great Northern laid track down from Molson into Oso (the towns original name), it opened the town up to increased settlement and development. People were able to come and go more easily and quickly. Freight could be brought in and shipped out. The town incorporated in 1908, and in 1909 became Oroville due to handwriting of the time making it difficult to distinguish Oro from Oso on mail. The Post Office Department requested the change and the town continued to grow and prosper. The iconic red caboose with Rocky, the GNR goat on the side, was recognizable across the country, and still is to GNR enthusiasts. The Great Northern Railway merged with Burlington Northern in 1970, and these cabooses gradually disappeared from the rails.

On display at the Old Oroville Depot Museum, open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9–September 30, 2026.