At 479 pages, The Red Caboose: A Collection of Altoona, Wisconsin Memories 2009 by Jack Blacburn, Roger Rasmussen, and John R. Thurston is probably not a weekend read, but it is a comprehensive collection of memories about Altoona from the 1880s through today. It is the third in a trilogy about Altoona, but the first to offer a wider spectrum of the city’s history and people. “(It) reflected our philosophy that important history is being made by ‘everyman’ every day,” Thurston said. The chapters cover everything from railroad trains and the Altoona Roundhouse to the Altoona VFW and the Equity Livestock Co-Op fire of 1951. In addition to serving as a compilation of local memories, The Red Caboose includes a map of Altoona circa 1935, which notes all the names and some background information of all the residents at the time. Copies can be purchased for $21 from the Chippewa Valley Museum.