Faribault, Minnesota Rock Island Depot
Faribault, Minnesota Rock Island Depot
The Rock Island or Chicago Rock Island & Pacific (CRI&P) Depot in Faribault, Minnesota was built in 1902 by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad which was taken over by the Rock Island later that same year. It was the final link to the rail network establishing Faribault's importance in the region.
The Rock Island Line's route going through Faribault helped to create more direct access to the Chicago and St. Louis markets. In its heyday, the depot was a stop on one of Rock Island’s major routes, the "Twin Star Rocket" that ran from Minneapolis to Houston.
The Fall and Rise of a Historic Depot
The building is constructed of red brick with rough cut limestone used in the lower walls. Stone is also used for sills and a continuous band at the tops of the windows. It was originally a four-room passenger depot containing a central area, a baggage room and men's and ladies' waiting areas. At some point after the 1930's, it was converted to a passenger and freight depot.
The depot was restored in 1985 and is now home to the Depot Bar & Grill. The highly praised restaurant’s sign sports a wood-carving of the orange art-deco locomotive that pulled the "Twin Star Rocket."
In the early 1990s when the movie "Grumpy Old Men" was being filmed in Minnesota, they needed to shoot some depot scenes. The town that was the movie’s location, Wabasha, had already lost its Milwaukee Road Depot to the wrecking ball. No problem! They put Wabasha signs on the Faribault Rock Island Depot and shot the depot scenes in Faribault. The picture below is from the opening credits of the movie.
