| South Side Of Depot | In 1878 the two story depot was built. There was an office with two waiting rooms, one for the men and one for the women, and a freight room to the west. The waiting rooms were heated by potbellied stoves. In the men's waiting room John Bradish, who was the first depot agent did some barber work. There were also living quarters above where the Walter D. Dunlap family lived and raised their family. The job of the depot agent was to weigh and stamp the out-going freight and put it in the incoming freight cars. He also checked in the incoming freight and notified people in the country to pick up their parcels. The in-town freight was delivered by dray-line to the stores or the post office. The depot agent also sent and received telograms on his Morse Code Key. The depot was an exciting place with the passenger train stopping for people arriving or departing. Sometimes deceased bodies were loaded here and carried elsewhere for burial. Sick people were often taken to Minneapolis for treatments. Bradish was replaced as agent by the Dunlaps - first Walt Dunlap, then his son Wayne, who held the job for many years. Leonard Nelson, Art Gilhoi, and Ed Thielke followed. In 1948 the upstairs was removed and the depot was resided. In 1962 it was torn down and was replaced by the second depot which was torn down in the late 1990's. |
