Northfield, Minnesota Milwaukee Road/Union Depot
Northfield, Minnesota Milwaukee Road/Union Depot
The Milwaukee Road Depot (later Union Depot) in Northfield, Minnesota was built in 1888 and later shared with the Rock Island Line. The above photo shows it in its new location after being moved and significantly restored.
This depot has a rich history which has been well-documented by the Northfield Historical Society and the town's two private colleges, Carlton and St. Olaf. It saw troops off to the Spanish-American War in 1898 and to the big wars that followed. It hosted whistle stops by William Howard Taft in 1903, Teddy Roosevelt in 1912 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.
It was a stop on one of Rock Island's major routes, the "Twin Star Rocket" that ran from Minneapolis to Houston via Kansas City. During its active life, thousands of college students first set foot in Northfield when they stepped onto this depot’s platform.
The building was moved in January 2016 to a new location a short distance from its original location. Restoration of the old depot has taken place, and construction of a new transit hub began in June 2024. They are hoping for passenger rail service from St. Paul to Kansas City and points beyond to be restored, with Northfield as one of its stops.
For further information about the transit hub and more history and photos, check out the Save the Northfield Depot website.
