Saline station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Detroit, Hillsdale and Indiana Railroad-Saline Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	402 N. Ann Arbor St., Saline, Michigan
Area	less than one acre
Built	1870 (1870)
Architectural style	Late Victorian
MPS	Saline MRA
NRHP reference No.	94000619
Added to NRHP	June 17, 1994

The Saline station, also known as the Detroit, Hillsdale and Indiana Railroad-Saline Depot, is an old train station located at 402 North Ann Arbor Street in Saline, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 because of its important history. Today, the building is home to the Saline Depot Museum, where you can learn all about its past.

History of the Saline Train Station

Building the Railroad in Saline

The Detroit, Hillsdale and Indiana Railroad first came to Saline in 1870. This railroad was probably built to get money from towns along its path. It was controlled by the Michigan Central Railroad, a much larger company. Along with the train tracks, the railroad also built this station in Saline.

The Detroit, Hillsdale and Indiana Railroad faced financial trouble in 1875. It was then sold to another company, the Detroit, Hillsdale, and South Western Railroad. In 1881, this company rented out the train line forever to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway.

Saline's Economy and the Railroad

When the train line was first built, Saline's economy grew quickly. By 1876, Saline was shipping out a lot of goods. They sent about 5,000 barrels of apples and 500 train carloads of wheat each year.

However, things changed when a new train line was built through nearby Milan in 1880. This new line took away some of Saline's shipping business. As a result, Saline's economy slowed down in the 1880s.

Changes in Train Service

In 1914, the New York Central Railroad took over the lease of the train line. By this time, fewer people were using trains. Passenger train service on this route stopped completely in 1930.

In the late 1930s, the original waiting room for passengers caught fire. The railroad then added a new outer wall where the old inner wall used to be. In 1960, the Michigan Central Railroad bought the line through Saline, including the station. They closed the station in 1961. The very last scheduled train passed through Saline in 1962.

New Owners and the Museum

The Michigan Central Railroad sold the station to the Saline Mercantile Company. This company used the building as a garden shop. However, they still rented a small office inside for when a train engine came through. In 1967, the railroad completely stopped using the tracks.

In the early 1970s, the Saline Mercantile Company sold the station to David and Dean Zahn, who owned a mill. They rented out the freight part of the station for storage. In 1980, the Zahn family gave the station building to the Saline Historic District Commission. They also sold the land to the City of Saline.

In 1982, a puppeteer named Meredith Bixby rented the building. From 1983 to 1990, the Saline Area Players, a local theater group, used it. The city fixed up the building, and starting in 1995, they rented it to the Saline Area Historical Society. This is how the building became the museum it is today.

What the Saline Depot Looks Like

The Saline Depot is a one-story building made of wood. It has a roof with a very steep slope. The building is about fifty-three feet long and twenty-nine and a half feet wide.

Originally, it had two main parts. One end was a warehouse for storing goods, and the other end had a small office and a waiting room for passengers.

On the side of the building facing the tracks, there is a large double door for the freight storage area. Next to this door are two tall, fixed windows. On the opposite side, there are two more sets of freight doors. Between these doors, there is a single, long window with six small glass panes.

You can enter the office and waiting room area from the end of the building. There is a door with panels and a large window in its upper part. Near this door, there are also two windows that can be opened by sliding them up and down.