John Filios, A Depot Park Founder
Word arrived as our newsletter (Volume 24, Issue 1) was about to go to the printer that John Filios died at the age of 101. John teamed with Jim Shea and other visionaries in the early 1990s to propose the Depot Park complex. It began as a relatively small concept that eventually grew to what we have today at the Minuteman Bikeway terminus.
John did several things to help honor and preserve our local railroad history. Following plans we obtained from the B&M Railroad Historical Society, he fabricated replacement blades for the ones that were missing on Bedford Depot’s rooftop train order signals. He also made replacement upper-quadrant arms for three concrete whistle posts that survive along the Lexington and Reformatory Branches in town. Whenever a pickup truck was needed to haul something big, John was there to help.
Jim recently shared his memories of working with John on the Depot Park project:
John and I became acquainted in the early 1990s when he was a member of the Bedford Historical Commission. He contacted me for information about Bedford’s railroad history that would appear on a “Special Places” sign adjacent to the Depot. This led to us developing a modest proposal for a bench, landscaping and a brick plaza at the bikeway terminus. John arranged a meeting with the DPW Director to determine a cost estimate. Although the Selectmen thought the project was a good idea, they felt the $40,000 price tag was beyond the Town’s financial means.
John was not a person to be easily turned down. He placed a funding article for the project on the Town Meeting warrant. Soon thereafter, the Selectmen offered to support a $4,000 study and to work with us if John removed his article, which he agreed to do. Around the same time, John suggested that I start a “friends” organization to advocate for what became the Bedford Depot Park project. This group continues to exist today with an enrollment of over 200 members from nearby and across the country.
Ultimately, the project was expanded to include acquisition of the Passenger Station and Freight House buildings, two parking lots, and ex-Boston & Maine Rail Diesel Car 6211, which was restored to become a museum. Amenities were added that include bicycle racks, a plaza with benches, a water fountain, an information kiosk, and public restrooms. With John’s advice and encouragement, I wrote a grant proposal that yielded about $1.65 million in Federal and state funding to purchase the property and construct Depot Park. Bedford’s Community Preservation Program added $125,000 to renovate the historic Budd Car.
John was a “sparkplug” who helped gather momentum for the project during its early years when some people were skeptical about its prospect for success. When Bedford Depot Park formally opened in 2009, I was happy that John was there to see the accomplishment of one of his dreams. Depot Park is part of his legacy.
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