Andrew Schmitz

F01

The Railroad, Union Depot, Mankato Minnesota

Past to Present

When Mankato was first being developed into a city in Blue Earth County, the hub for the transportation of goods and civilians had always been the Minnesota River, which is near where the town is located. In the mid-1800’s the city and county were experiencing large amounts of growth and expansion. It was at this time that the development of a rail system was beginning to take place that would become a very popular, accessible, and reliable means of shipping freight and transporting passengers. The Union Depot in Mankato, Minnesota was a major center of these activities, and many more throughout the many years and decades of its existence. My paper is about the history of the events that occurred over those time periods to create the unique qualities of the station and the rail system that runs through Mankato.

In 1852 the city of Mankato was founded. This was an ideal place to start a town because of its great position on the Minnesota River. The river provided a good bulk and break point for the transportation of people and goods. By late 1860 the town of Mankato was experiencing considerable growth economically as well as citizen-wise. This expansion called for a better way of transporting the growing number of people and amount of business that was circulating around the town.

In 1857 the surveying for the new railway began, and by the year 1865, eight miles of track laid already. Then because of a shortage in funding there was a considerable slow down in the construction of the new railroad. There was no money for locomotives or other railcars for the transportation of materials and supplies to the workers.

“Finally a private loan by a man named E.F. Drake, allowed them to purchase a second hand locomotive along with five flat cars and two box cars […]” (Blue Earth County Historical Society)

In the fall of 1868, the railroad finally reached Mankato and connected it with the outside world. Ironically the first engine to pull a train to Mankato was in fact named the Mankato.

There originally was a train depot located on Fourth Street when the railroad came to Mankato. Almost two decades later, the tracks were voted to be removed from there. Union Depot, which still stands today on Riverfront Drive was built and then opened in December of 1896.

The early years of Union Depot captured in an old postcard. (Provided by Blue Earth County Historical Society, and http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html)

There have been millions of railcars that have passed through Union Depot through the years. Thousands of travelers have set foot on the decks of the depot.

“At its peak six railroad companies came through Mankato, with a very busy schedule of 22 passenger trains arriving and departing daily. To accommodate the traffic a depot was built at the present location with the cooperatives efforts of two railroads. The two railroads, the Omaha and the Chicago-Northwestern, ran tracks between the street and the depot and between the depot and the river.” (http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html)

Tickets were sold for four dollars apiece to travel from Mankato to Minneapolis. The trains left the depot five times throughout the day and returned that night. The trip took about three and a half hours each way. This provided a mode of transportation to other cities along the way as well.

Union Depot was a place that was not just a center for trade. It was home to many different events. It was the place where troops and draftees left from and returned to from such wars as World Wars I and II, Korea, and Viet Nam. Presidential Candidate Harry Truman spoke on the depot’s platform in 1948. It was a place that was used for public meetings and other events. Also many local people would go there after a night of dancing at the Mankato Ballroom to get something to eat.

(http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html)

One of the most tragic events in the history of the depot and the railroad was the crash that occurred on June 14, 1951. Two trains collided as a result of miscommunication between the dispatcher and the engineers of the trains. Both trains derailed, and one of the engineers died while seven other crewmembers were injured. No passengers were injured because they were in cars at the rear of the train. Much of the train’s cargo of animals such as sheep were killed or injured. There were also mail cars, oil tankers, and boxcars that derailed as a result of the crash.

Union Station in the year 21^st century.

(http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html)

Almost a century after the railroad reached the expanding town of Mankato the last train pulled away from Union Depot. Since then the depot has been used as

office space. Also during those years, it endured the elements of nature. It was struck by lightning twice and was damaged by a sinkhole as a result of the flood in 1993. During this time the depot was subject to urban renewal that brought it up to code while preserving its historical character. These days the depot building is still used for business purposes. Its residents include Piper Jaffray and the Mankato Area Chamber and Convention Bureau.

Since the birth of Mankato the town has changed constantly and the railroad has changed along with it. It started off as a way to connect the town with others. The addition of Union Depot made Mankato a recognizable dot on the map for many years. Throughout the years the depot has gone through many different events that make it the great historic icon that it is. It is a great spectacle of the rich history of Mankato, Minnesota.

SOURCES

1. The Blue Earth County Historical Society (BECHS)

2. Mankato Area Chamber and Convention Bureau, http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html