Martin County Historical Society

Online Tour - Brodt Room

The Brodt Room is home to many items and pictures from Martin County’s Business and Industrial past. The businesses and industries featured in the Brodt Room were critical to the growing and thriving of our county and thus represent a significant portion of our history. Historically, one of the most important industries was Fairmont Railway Motors who were among the first companies in America to produce motor-powered railway cars for use in maintaining railways; these and Railway Motors’ other railway maintenance products can be found all over the world today. From there we have several picture albums, a large switchboard, stamps, catalogs, and a myriad of other items. Railway Motors celebrated their 100 year anniversary in 2009! Along with them Park Motor Co. (now Fairmont Ford) also celebrated their 100 year anniversary which makes them the 4th oldest Ford Dealership in the nation. Along with pictures and news clippings of Park Motor’s history their original time clock is in the Brodt Room. While these businesses were and are certainly important, the Brodt Room also holds many other items such as a blown-up copy of the Sentinel’s 1958 Martin County Centennial issue, a jewelry maker’s workbench, aerial pictures from the Fairmont Canning Co., and a host of other artifacts from Martin County’s industrial past!