Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot and Lunchroom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wells
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| Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station | ||||||||||||||||
Wells station in June 2012.
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| Location | 100 First Avenue NW, Wells, Minnesota 56097 | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1869 | |||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1903 | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot and Lunchroom
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 Location in Minnesota
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| Location | Corner of 1st St NW and 1st Ave NW Wells, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1903 | |||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Vernacular | |||||||||||||||
| MPS | Faribault MRA | |||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 80004264 | |||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | May 23, 1980 | |||||||||||||||
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot and Lunchroom are two historic buildings in Wells, Minnesota. They were built in 1903 by a big railroad company known as The Milwaukee Road. These buildings played an important part in the town's history.
Contents
A Busy Railroad Hub
The town of Wells was started in 1869 because of the railroad. It quickly became a busy place where different train lines met. One train line went west towards Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Another line went north towards Farmington, Minnesota.
Building the Station
Because Wells was so important, The Milwaukee Road built a large train yard there. In 1903, as more trains passed through, the company built the current station. It was made of strong brick.
They also built a lunchroom next to the station. This building was also made of brick. It was called a "beanery" and served food to train crews and passengers. People from the town could eat there too.
What the Buildings Looked Like
The train station, or depot, is a single-story building. It has a rectangular shape. One end was a waiting area for passengers. The other end was a room for freight, which means goods being shipped. The train agent's office was in the middle.
The lunchroom is also a single-story, rectangular building. Over time, it was changed a bit. A wooden room and a garage were added. The lunchroom used to have a kitchen and a dining area. Later, it was sold to private owners. They turned it into a home.
The Station's Many Uses
The depot was used for both freight trains and "mixed trains." Mixed trains carried both passengers and goods. It was an office for train crews. It also served as a place to buy tickets and wait for trains.
Changes Over Time
In the 1960s, passenger train service stopped. But the depot was still used as an office for the train yard.
The Milwaukee Road company went out of business in 1985. Another company, the Soo Line Railroad, bought it. The Soo Line continued to use the depot. Later, the Soo Line sold this train line to the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E). The IC&E used the depot for its train crews until 2005. Then, they built new offices on the other side of the tracks.
Saving the Station
In 2007, the IC&E company joined with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CPR planned to close the depot and tear it down. They thought it was no longer needed.
But instead, the CPR sold the depot to the Wells Historical Society. They sold it for a very small amount of money. The Society worked hard to fix up the depot. In 2010, they opened it as a museum.
Why It's Historic
The Wells train station and lunchroom are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is because they show how the town of Wells grew. They also show how important railroads were in Minnesota's history.
