Wadena Depot Grand Opening Thursday, June 19

BY MATTHEW JOHNSON

      The recently renovated 1915 Northern Pacific Railroad Depot in downtown Wadena will re-open to the public on Thursday, June 19.
      The big oak doors on The Depot, the only NP passenger train depot still standing in Wadena County, will open at 7:30 a.m. during Wadena´s annual Town & Country Breakfast, according to Kay Browne, depot project manager. She said a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the historic grand opening is scheduled at 11 a.m.
      Throughout the day, the public is invited to tour The Depot and hear historic information about railroad heritage and The Depot itself. A man dressed as a railroad conductor, wearing a conductor´s cap, will also be present with an old-fashioned train ticket machine. Beginning at 9:30 p.m., in The Depot´s freight room, short train films will be shown until late into the evening, Browne said.
      So, in addition to taking a walk through the scenic Burlington Northern Park surrounding the depot, near the historic outdoor bandstand, you can take a step back in time at The Depot as well. This depot museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showcases much of the original 1915 structure and contains display cases with depot and railroad artifacts. For more information on regular visiting hours or for a tour, contact Browne at (218) 371-9264.
      In the early days, The Depot brought people to Wadena and connected the larger Wadena Community to the rest of the world. It had been standing vacant for many years, reminding people of its historic significance.
      The Depot is one of the few passenger depots built within the setting of a park environment. The east side of Burlington Northern Park existed before The Depot was built in 1915. The west side of the park was developed after The Depot was built, Browne said. For many years, the park has existed as the site of community events, including community band concerts, barbecues, festivals, Farmer´s Markets, family picnics, horse drawn carriage rides, and many other events and celebrations.
      A large summer patio on the east side of The Depot is made out of red brick pavers. Donors to The Depot can purchase a paver, beginning at a minimum of $100, and have their names put on them permanently. Browne said this is a good way for business donors to show their support and to advertise their businesses for years and years to come. Once the name of the business is on a paver, that´s where it will stay.
      Thanks to Friends of the Depot, an adjunct of Partners for a Healthy Wadena Region, an historical building architect, a landscape architect, other professionals and volunteers, a federal MnDOT grant (Transportation Enhance­ment), and a Minnesota State Historical Society Grant, The Depot restoration project was completed in time for Minne­sota´s 150th anniversary. Partners started the restoration project in 2003. The group´s office is located in the east wing of The Depot. Space can also be rented at The Depot. A regional tourism group was the first group to use The Depot for a meeting. The facility can be rented for such public, non-commercial events such as weddings, receptions, conferences and business meetings.
      The Depot looks very similar now to when it was new, due in part to all the hours of volunteer work, such as the scrubbing of the tile walls inside to restore them to their original luster. Thousands of dollars were saved when The Depot renovation project received a donation for a portion of a tile wall. The donation, from the Fargo Depot, which was recently turned into a bike shop, included tiles from the exact same company that made tile walls in The Depot in Wadena. In fact, both tile walls were stamped on back with the company´s name and the year they were made. The Fargo Depot tiles had 1905 stamped on the back, and The Depot in Wadena had 1915 stamped on them.
      So take a stroll through the scenic park, step through the solid oak doors of The Depot, and enter into another time . . . in the exact same place!