ROCHELLE – Two local residents who came up with their idea to preserve a historical event in Rochelle over a cup of coffee, have now turned it into a reality.
Approximately a week after the Union Pacific Big Boy Steam Engine 4014 stopped in Rochelle and drew a crowd of more than 1,000 people, local residents Bob Caron and Diane Kenney had the idea of putting photos from the event together into a collage and framing it.
“We were having coffee together and we were still buzzing about the amount of people that came out to see the train,” said Kenney. “Between the two of us and the pictures from the News-Leader we had some great pictures documenting what happened that will never happen again. We started putting it together very soon after we came up with the idea, working at it a little bit at a time.”

The train came to Rochelle this past July, and the final touches were put on the collage the morning they were going to present it — Thursday.
“In the process of putting it together we went through three different frames until we found the one that was just right,” added Caron.
The collage was put together with the thought in mind that it would eventually end up on display at the Flagg Township Museum.
In the meantime, the collage will be displayed at the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library during upcoming events for people to see.
“We have our spooktacular event coming up this weekend and then we have our Christmas walk in December, then once we are finished with those events it will be put on display at the museum,” explained library director Sarah Flanagan.
Both of the creators, the library and the museum are all happy to help preserve a piece of history that represents what Rochelle and the community is about.