The Monterey Depot Museum selling redesigned t-shirts as part of a larger rebranding effort.
Cultural Administrator Rafferty Cleary said the marketing changes have been in the works for about a year. Cleary said now was the right time to rebrand because several big projects at the museum are nearing their completion. One of them is a renovated dining car, which can be rented out for events.
“We were going to incorporate our new logos on the outside of that dining car, and so it just made sense that we went ahead and ordered some apparel,” Cleary said. “Of course, this is a fundraising effort for us, so the ability to sell some t-shirts and make a little bit of money to help us continue our goals and objectives here as a society.”
Cleary said the rebrand came with the help of Tennessee Tech’s Center for Rural Innovation, and the new logo was a direct result of those effort. Cleary said the new logo is a nod to the past that will help the museum propel into the new era.
He said there are two forms of the logo. Cleary said the one on the T-shirts has a “TC” on it, which is outlined in the shape of a steam engine.
“That TC of course is referencing Tennessee Central, which was the name of the railroad some time back here in Monterey,” Cleary said. “So it’s kind of a nod to the history here in Monterey, and obviously the way that TC is outlined in the form of a train engine, it just goes hand and hand with our goal as the Monterey Depot Historical Society.”
Cleary said that goal is to educate people about the depot and railroad’s history. He said people coming to purchase a shirt should check out some of the museum’s new sights.
“Over the last two or three years, there’s been some changes,” Cleary said. “New displays, new items that we’ve got in the museum that folks that may have been there years and years ago didn’t have an opportunity to see. There’s some new stuff. So we want you to purchase some apparel, but we also want you to experience some of the new things that are inside our museum.”
In addition to t-shirts, Cleary said a new website has been developed. He said this website serves a database of museum documents and photos. Cleary said people who cannot visit the museum or people with ties to the area should check it out.
Cleary said that website is also a product of Tech’s Center for Rural Innovation. He said the museum plans to use the new resources from the center for years to come. As for the new dining car experience, Cleary said it should be ready for use in mid-September.
Cleary said the t-shirts can be purchased at the museum.
