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Recognized as Wisconsin’s oldest depot and
the oldest surviving structure of the Milwaukee Road, the Mineral
Point Railroad Depot was in operation from 1856 to 1984. After
extensive historical research and a detailed six-year restoration
project, the depot reopened in September 2004 as the Mineral
Point Railroad Museum. Now the two-story vernacular-style
limestone depot, built by Cornish stonemasons John Toay and Philip
Allen, houses an artifact collection that tells the story of 150
illustrious years of Mineral Point and southwestern Wisconsin railroad-related
history. Exhibits detail the depot’s role from its beginnings
in 1852 with the Mineral Point Railroad Company to its recent return
as a prominent presence and destination in Mineral Point.
Museum visitors are transported to a time when trains reigned
and depots represented the heart of communication, commerce, and
transportation. The museum artifact collection brings to life the
stories of the men and women who worked the railroad. Exhibits
cover the construction of the depot and railroad by the Mineral
Point Railroad Company; Mineral Point’s second railroad line,
the Mineral Point and Northern Railway; the Chicago, Milwaukee,
St. Paul (and Pacific) Railway, also known as the Milwaukee Road;
the Mineral Point Zinc Works, which operated the nation’s
largest oxide plant; the Cornish in the Mineral Point area; railroad
tools; depot agents and telegraph operators; and more.
In fall of 2006, the museum will unveil the completed Children’s
Room, featuring vintage toys, an activity area, and, at its center,
a model railroad diorama depicting the height of Mineral Point
railroad activity.
The Mineral Point Railroad Society was formed
in 2000 to ensure that the Depot remains a permanent part of the
community. |
