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Great Northern Depot (Princeton, Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
The Great Northern Depot in Princeton, Minnesota
was a former depot on the Great Northern Railway (U.S.). The building is a combination of Queen Anne
and Jacobean
architectural styles, built of local brick with sandstone
trim. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977. When the depot was built in 1902, at a cost of $15,594, it replaced a wooden frame structure. The dedication ceremony was well-attended by at least 500 people. The size of the depot, at a length of 215 feet, a height of 35 feet, and a width exceeding 37 feet, made it the largest building in Princeton. The main products shipped from the depot were agricultural and forest commodities, along with a substantial amount of brick shipped from a brickyard two miles north of Princeton.
The Great Northern Railway originally did not travel through Princeton. Instead, it ran from Minneapolis, Minnesota
through Elk River
and to St. Cloud
. Another line ran from St. Cloud through Milaca
to Duluth
. James J. Hill
challenged local business owners to raise $50,000 to route the line through Princeton. The money was raised, and a line was built through Princeton. Surveying for the route began in late March 1886, and the track-laying crew started building the new line from Elk River on October 24, 1886. With few obstacles to construction, the line was finished quickly, and rail service began on November 29, 1886. The Princeton route actually shortened the distance between Minneapolis and Duluth.
Initially, service was frequent, but in November 1899, the route to Duluth was relocated to a line passing further east, connecting through Coon Rapids
, Cambridge
and Brook Park
. Service on the line declined as a result, with luxury passenger cars being replaced with ordinary coaches in 1908, the U.S. Mail route being lost in 1930, and passenger service terminated altogether in 1952. Freight service continued until 1976, at which time the line was abandoned.
Vehicles on site include a 1924 Wilcox water truck, a 1963 Milwaukee Road insulated boxcar
, a 1963 Burlington Northern Flat car, a 1925 Wooden Milwaukee Road boxcar, and a 1963 Burlington Northern wide-vision steel caboose
.
Princeton, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,624 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.7 people per square mile . There were 1,670 housing units at an average density of 376.9 per square mile...
was a former depot on the Great Northern Railway (U.S.). The building is a combination of Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
and Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
architectural styles, built of local brick with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
trim. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977. When the depot was built in 1902, at a cost of $15,594, it replaced a wooden frame structure. The dedication ceremony was well-attended by at least 500 people. The size of the depot, at a length of 215 feet, a height of 35 feet, and a width exceeding 37 feet, made it the largest building in Princeton. The main products shipped from the depot were agricultural and forest commodities, along with a substantial amount of brick shipped from a brickyard two miles north of Princeton.
The Great Northern Railway originally did not travel through Princeton. Instead, it ran from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
through Elk River
Elk River, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,447 people, 5,664 households, and 4,400 families residing in the city. Recent estimates show the population at 21,329 as of 2005. The population density was 385.5 people per square mile . There were 5,782 housing units at an average density of 135.5 per...
and to St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
. Another line ran from St. Cloud through Milaca
Milaca, Minnesota
Milaca is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,946 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mille Lacs County and is situated on the Rum River.-Geography:...
to Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
challenged local business owners to raise $50,000 to route the line through Princeton. The money was raised, and a line was built through Princeton. Surveying for the route began in late March 1886, and the track-laying crew started building the new line from Elk River on October 24, 1886. With few obstacles to construction, the line was finished quickly, and rail service began on November 29, 1886. The Princeton route actually shortened the distance between Minneapolis and Duluth.
Initially, service was frequent, but in November 1899, the route to Duluth was relocated to a line passing further east, connecting through Coon Rapids
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,627 people, 22,578 households, and 16,572 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,718.1 people per square mile . There were 22,828 housing units at an average density of 1,007.2 per square mile...
, Cambridge
Cambridge, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,520 people, 2,237 households, and 1,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 894.1 people per square mile . There were 2,373 housing units at an average density of 384.4 per square mile...
and Brook Park
Brook Park Township, Minnesota
Brook Park Township is a township in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 495 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
. Service on the line declined as a result, with luxury passenger cars being replaced with ordinary coaches in 1908, the U.S. Mail route being lost in 1930, and passenger service terminated altogether in 1952. Freight service continued until 1976, at which time the line was abandoned.
Mille Lacs County Historical Society Depot Museum
The depot is now the home of the Mille Lacs County Historical Society Depot Museum, with railroad cars and track placed next to the building. The 1856 "District No 1" schoolhouse is located next to the depot. The school was the first in Mlle Lacs County. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota listed the depot on its 2010 list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places.Vehicles on site include a 1924 Wilcox water truck, a 1963 Milwaukee Road insulated boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
, a 1963 Burlington Northern Flat car, a 1925 Wooden Milwaukee Road boxcar, and a 1963 Burlington Northern wide-vision steel caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
.