Aitkin station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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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 |
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Aitkin County Depot Museum
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| Established | 2021 |
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| Location | 20 Pacific Street SW, Aitkin, Minnesota |
| Type | Local History |
The Aitkin station in Aitkin, Minnesota, is a historic brick building. It was built for the Northern Pacific Railway and opened on January 26, 1916. This railway line is now part of the BNSF Railway. The station was a very important stop for people traveling between Staples and Duluth. It shows how important the railroad was for Aitkin's growth. Today, the building is home to the county museum.
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The Historic Northern Pacific Depot
The first railroad tracks in Aitkin were built in 1871. By the early 1900s, Aitkin was becoming a main supply center for the area. The old wooden train station, called a depot, was too small. So, the railway company started building a new brick depot in 1915.
The new depot was built in the Mission Revival style. This style often uses features like smooth stucco walls, arched openings, and red tile roofs. The Aitkin depot has cut-stone decorations and a German tile roof. Because of its history and special design, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was listed as the Northern Pacific Depot.
Passenger train service to Aitkin station stopped on May 24, 1969. After this date, trains no longer carried people between Duluth and Staples.
Aitkin County Depot Museum
The building is now used by the Aitkin County Historical Society. It is called the Aitkin County Depot Museum. The museum has many interesting exhibits. You can see displays about steamboats, railroads, and logging. There are also exhibits on Native American history, military items, and old children's toys. You can also learn about woodworking and farming.
About the Historical Society
The Aitkin County Historical Society started in 1948. Its goal is to collect, keep safe, and share historical information and items from Aitkin County. In 1950, they built a log cabin museum next to the Aitkin County Courthouse. This cabin was used to show their collections.
In 1970, the society worked to get the Burlington Northern Depot building. They wanted to turn it into a history museum. The depot was a big part of the county's history. The town of Aitkin itself was founded in 1871, when the railroad was expanding from Duluth. After the depot became a museum, the log cabin was moved. It went to a spot between the depot and the Armory building. When the armory was sold in 2000, the log cabin moved again. Its current home is at the Aitkin County Fairgrounds. Later, another building was built next to the depot. This building holds even more displays.
In 2004, the society bought the old Northwestern Bell Telephone building. They use this building to store historical items that are not currently on display at the museum.
See also
| 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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