ELLSWORTH – An all-wooden caboose built in 1909 and located on the grounds of the Ellsworth County Historical Society museum has a new shelter to protect it from the elements.

The caboose – one of only 23 all-wooden cabooses, except for a metal wheel base, in the United States – is a unique piece of railroading history. Since the society obtained it in 1966, it has been a favorite of museum visitors.

Hansen Foundation grant funds helped cover the cost of constructing a pavilion to shelter the entire caboose. Other funds came from the City of Ellsworth Bed Tax Fund, a Smoky Hill Charitable Foundation grant and the historical society’s maintenance funds.