Boys and girls—bring your father and grandfathers to

                           Pre-Father’s Day Fun Day!

             Oakland Wepco Credit Union main office

               June 20, 2026 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm

                         Rain date:  June 27, 2026

See the original Westvaco Fire Truck with a huge 13 star Betsy Ross flag and the Declaration of Independence mounted on it.

                 Special sale on commemorative mugs

celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States

                        and the B&O Bicentennial.    

              Free coffee with purchase of a mug

                            Free Deer Park water

Then take a free trolley ride to Mt. Lake Park where you can enjoy the splash pool (bring your own towel) and visit the beautiful Mt. Lake Park Museum.

                              Free ice cream!

                  Barbeque sandwiches for sale

                   Return trolley ride to Oakland

                       Come enjoy the day!

Event Date:  Thursday, June 25, 2026

Speaker Presentation:

Celebrating the 250th Anniversary – A Brief Historical Review

Celebrating the 250th Anniversary – A Brief Historical Review traces America’s road to independence from the French and Indian War through the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War. Using maps, illustrations, and founding-era documents, the presentation explores British debt and taxation, colonial resistance, the Continental Congress, Maryland’s role, the divisions of 1776, and the struggle—through hardship, alliance, and victory—to secure American independence.

Event Location:  Oakland B&O Station and Museum, 117 E. Liberty Street, Oakland, MD.  Doors open at 6:30 and speakers begin at 7:00.  All are welcome!

Presenter:  Dr. Neal Brooks

Dr. Neal Brooks worked most of his academic career as Professor of History at the Community College of Baltimore County. As part time instructor at Garrett College, he taught a series of courses in local history, including his favorite topic of railroads in Garrett County.

He had an undergraduate degree from Towson University and graduate degrees in history from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. His interest in railroading stems from playing with his model trains as a child, a hobby he still enjoys.

Event Date:  Thursday August 20, 2026

 Speaker Presentation:

Charles Carroll of Carrollton: America’s First Entrepreneur

Charles Carroll of Carrollton was more than a patriot and the last living Declaration signer. Discover a fresh perspective on one of early America’s most influential figures, and the larger story of enterprise, power, and infrastructure that helped shape Garrett County, our nation, and the early story of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Event Location:  Oakland B&O Station and Museum, 117 E. Liberty Street, Oakland, MD. 

Doors open at 6:30 and speakers begin at 7:00.  All are welcome!

Presenter: Craig Rhinehart

Craig Rhinehart is an entrepreneur, former senior executive, and railroad history advocate whose work combines business leadership and  historical interpretation.  A former IBM executive and lifelong student of railroading with hands-on railroad industry experience, he is the founder of Railroad History Reimagined and a volunteer with railroad museums and historical organizations. He also mentors business owners through university, government, and veterans programs.

Event Date:  Thursday September 17, 2026

 Speaker Presentation:

The Impossible Challenge: Baltimore Invents the American Railroad

The Impossible Challenge is a discussion about the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s most difficult and defining Maryland story: how Baltimore’s railroad builders tried to turn an audacious 1827 idea into a working route across some of the most demanding terrain in the eastern United States that ultimately reshaped Maryland transportation and American railroading.

Event Location:  Oakland B&O Station and Museum, 117 E. Liberty Street, Oakland, MD.  Doors open at 6:30 and speakers begin at 7:00.  All are welcome!

Co-Speakers: Sharon and Herbert Harwood.

Sharon is a renowned historian and speaker. She is a graduate of Goucher College and is retired from the Montgomery County School System. Her family’s careers cover 120 years in American railroading and provide the foundation of her interest in the industry. Sharon’s father, George M. Beischer, was Chief Mechanical Officer on the old B&O and a role model for her.

Sharon is married to Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., a retired CSX official whose grandfather was in charge of the construction of Grand Central Terminal in New York. Herb’s 30 year railroading career began in the finance department of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and continued until his retirement in 1986 as Director of Commercial Administration for the combined C&O-B&O railroads. Both of these railroads are predecessors of the present CSX Transportation. He has authored about 11 books on railroad and trolley history, including several on various aspects of B&O Railroad history. One of his best known books is The Impossible Challenge.