Griffith Caboose

At our farm, we have a 1923 caboose you can walk through and see what kind of items would be in a caboose when they were in use. Trains and railroads are an important component of American agriculture.

WHY THE CABOOSE IS HAUNTED IN OCTOBER?

Long ago, when trains still crisscrossed the countryside, our blue caboose rumbled proudly at the end of the line. Most cabooses were red, but this one stood out in bright blue, earning it the nickname “Bluebell.”

Bluebell wasn’t just different in color—it was special. The conductor who cared for it always said it had a cheerful spirit, keeping the crew company on long journeys. When the caboose finally retired, it found a forever home here at The Petting Farm.

But Bluebell never really forgot its traveling days. On crisp autumn nights, some visitors say they hear faint train whistles in the wind, or the soft creak of footsteps on the caboose floor. Others claim they’ve seen a lantern glow in the window, or a shadowy figure giving a friendly wave.

Children believe it’s the spirit of the conductor still checking on his beloved caboose. Others whisper that Bluebell itself has a playful soul, delighted to share a little spookiness with visitors each fall.

So if you step inside and listen closely, don’t be surprised if you hear a giggle, a whisper, or even the soft “clackety-clack” of invisible train wheels. Bluebell isn’t here to frighten—it just loves reminding us of the adventures it once had.

During the 1920's, more than 25,000 cabooses rumbled along the nation's rails, bringing up the rear of the freight trains.
The word caboose comes from the Dutch word "kabuis" which means ship's gallery.
In place of cabooses today, electronic device monitoring the trains system is a flashing light. The device goes by a variety of names, including Flashing Rear End Device or F.R.E.D. for short. The Conductor used to wave at you. Now F.R.E.D only winks.
It is unclear how cabooses came to be but one account is that a conductor in 1863 for the Chicago & North Western Railroad named T.B. Watson persuaded a mechanic to affix a cupola to a railroad car. Train crews often rode in modified boxcars or in shanties sitting on flat cars. Legend has it that Conductor Watson encounter a car with a hole in its roof during a run. Elevating himself through the opening, he became so taken with the view that he devised a plan for a glass enclosed observation post.
Almost immediately people were taken with cabooses. Train crews liked them because they provided a place to escape from the elements, prepare and eat meals, and store equipment.
A historical society conducted an inventory of remaining cabooses in the country and they are trying to preserve as many of them as possible. People are buying cabooses to serve as offices, ice cream shops, hunting cabins, children's playrooms, motels and more.