Minburn Depot

After receiving its last train over 50 years ago, the 1914 brick depot is expecting an exciting move and restoration.  Soon the depot is scheduled to be carefully loaded up and moved across the street to its new home next to the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  The building will then be restored back to its original condition and become a trailhead/cafe/local museum.  The depot will also be placed on the National Register of Historic Places list.

Photos are available at:  http://minburndepot.shutterfly.com.

Depot Timeline

 

• 1869
  Des Moines Valley Railroad lays track from Des Moines to Fort Dodge; Minburn is born
  
  
• 1890's
  Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad leases the line
  
  
• 1906
  Minneapolis and St. Louis R.R. (M&StL) buys the line
  
  
• 1914
  Original wood depot burns and is replaced with brick depot
  
  
• September 9, 1917
  A train wreck occurs just outside of Minburn
  
  
• April 19, 1959
  Final M&StL passenger train run
  
  
• November 1, 1960
  Chicago & Northwester R.R. (C&NW) buys the line from M&StL for $20,929,000
  
  
• 1961
  Last freight train received at the depot
  
  
• April 25, 1995
  Union Pacific R.R. (UP) merges with C&NW
  
  
• May 2004
  UP runs its last train on the line
  
  
• September 3, 2004
  UP files with ICC for abandonment of the line
  
  
• March 26, 2007
  Minburn Community Betterment Group (MCBG) is born and initiates Depot restoration
  
  

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