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  • Apr 13, 2008 11:24 pm US/Central
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Finding Minnesota: Time Travel To Minnehaha Depot

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Sometimes you can find a great big history lesson in a tiny corner of the world. The Minnehaha Depot is just a little building on the road that leads to Minnehaha Falls, but at one time it was a hub of activity.
"This is on the first line that allowed people to leave the Twin Cities by rail," said Nick Modders, Chairman of the Board of the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

 Construction of the Minnehaha Train Depot started in the late 1850s. It took a few years, but by 1864 this little spot expanded the horizons of travel for Minnesotans in a big way.

 "You could go to Minneapolis, or this was the first opportunity to go all the way to Chicago by  train ... sort of," said Modders.  Passengers had to mix in a boat ride and a transfer or two, but you still could do Chicago must faster than ever before, and with a lot more luxury. The other options were to ride a wagon there, or just hoof it.

 "The train was obviously a lot faster, a lot more comfortable, and you didn't have to feed the horses," said Modders.

 It's a hard thing to imagine today when people are accustomed to automobiles and planes but back then, train transportation was speedy.

 "Oh yeah, 25 miles an hour, it was breathtaking," said Modders. "There was serious consideration that was too fast for the human body."

 By the 1900's folks were lining up for excursions from the downtown areas of the cities to Minnehaha Falls, and connections that would take them all the way west to Seattle or Portland.

 "Three trains that made 13 round trips. So you had 39 opportunities to come and go from this place during the day," pointed out Modders.

 It's intricate gingerbread canopy earned it the nickname "The Princess of the Milwaukee Line". Trains no longer pass along the rails outside it's doors, but you can take a trip back in time by simply walking inside. The Minnehaha Depot is now a lovely little monument to our transportation history.

 You can celebrate the Twin Cities early introduction to rail service at a new interactive exhibit at the Jackson Street Roundhouse the next two weekends. Visitors can experience how European immigrants traveled by rail to Minnesota and the Dakotas. The Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway begin tours on May 3. For information on the Minnehaha Depot and the upcoming exhibits, click on the links below.

 Minnesota Transportation Museum
Jackson Street Roadhouse Minnesota's 150 Celebration
Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway

 

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.