Aitkin County Depot Museum facts for kids
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Aitkin County Depot Museum
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| Established | September 4, 1980 |
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| Location | 20 Pacific Street SW, Aitkin, Minnesota |
| Type | Local History |
The Aitkin County Depot Museum is a cool place to learn about local history. It's located in Aitkin, Minnesota, inside an old train station built in 1916. This historic building is special enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum is run by the Aitkin County Historical Society. It shows off many interesting things. You can see exhibits about steamboats, railroads, and how people used to cut down trees for wood. There are also displays on Native American history, old military items, children's toys, and farming tools.
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Discovering Aitkin County's Past
The Aitkin County Historical Society started in 1948. Its main job is to find, keep safe, and share stories and items from Aitkin County's history. They want everyone to learn about the past!
How the Museum Grew
In 1950, the society built a small log cabin museum. It was placed right next to the Aitkin County Courthouse. This cabin held many of their first displays.
Later, in 1970, the society started talking about getting the old Burlington Northern Depot. They wanted to turn it into a bigger history museum. On September 4, 1980, the depot officially opened as the new museum.
The train depot was very important to Aitkin. The town itself started in 1871, right when the railroad was expanding from Duluth. The railroad helped the town grow a lot!
Moving the Log Cabin
After the depot became a museum, the log cabin moved. It went to a spot between the depot and another building called the Armory. When the Armory was sold in 2000, the log cabin moved again. Now, you can find it at the Aitkin County Fairgrounds.
The historical society also built a second building next to the depot. This building holds even more displays for visitors to explore. In 2004, they bought another building, an old telephone company office. This space helps them store many historical items that aren't currently on display.
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Northern Pacific Depot
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 20 Pacific St., SW, Aitkin, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| MPS | Aitkin County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002926 |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1982 |
The Historic Northern Pacific Depot
The original railroad tracks were laid in 1871. By the early 1900s, Aitkin was becoming a major supply center for the area. The old wooden train station just wasn't big enough anymore.
Building a New Station
So, the railway company started building a brand new brick depot in 1915. This new passenger station opened on January 26, 1916. It was built in a special style called Mission Revival. This style often includes cut-stone decorations and unique tile roofs.
The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It's known as the Northern Pacific Depot. The train tracks that once belonged to the Northern Pacific Railway are now part of the BNSF Railway.
A Hub for Travelers
The depot was a very important stop for people traveling between Staples and Duluth. It shows how much the railroad helped Aitkin grow and develop over the years.
However, passenger train service to Aitkin ended on May 24, 1969. After that date, trains no longer carried passengers between Duluth and Staples.
Images for kids
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The Aitkin County Depot Museum from the parking side.
| Preceding station | Northern Pacific Railway | Following station | ||
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| Cedar Lake
toward Staples
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Staples – Duluth | Rossburg
toward Duluth
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