Rededication ceremony for DAR wheels

In the summer of 2005, two lead wheels from a DAR engine (dating to 1889 and earlier) were found entombed in concrete during an environmental clean-up of the former railway lands at the west end of Kentville.

Noting the historical significance of the find, Kings County volunteer Leon Barron worked on behalf of the Kings Historical Society to have the wheels donated to the Kings County Museum from the Town of Kentville and the environmental firm of Neill and Gunter. Leon envisioned having the wheels restored and preserved on the lawn of the museum as a static display to commemorate the railway heritage of the county. In the fall of 2005, the Kentville Public Works Dept. moved the wheels to the museum.

Tragically, Barron passed away in the winter of 2006. His dream did not die, though. Close friend Stewart Dolliver took up the project and with guidance from Dan Conlin, Curator of Marine History at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, plans were provided to museum volunteers to help carry out Leon’s vision. Leon’s dream became a reality in October 2006 when a plaque bearing a dedication to his memory was affixed to the static railway display in front of the museum.

A little over a year later Dolliver succumbed to cancer. In recognition of the key role he played in making Leon’s dream a reality, the Kings Historical Society created a new plaque to be placed on the railway wheels. It reads: “Lead wheels from a DAR Steam Locomotive pre-1900. This display is dedicated to the railway history of Kings County and to the memory of volunteers Leon Barron (1932-2006) and Stewart Dolliver (1930-2007) who worked so hard to preserve it.”

The plaque was added to the wheels in early May by museum volunteer Kevin Wood. A rededication of the railway display took place May 15, 2008 with the wives of both men – Mary Barron and Joan Dolliver - in attendance. - Submitted