The Station Through Time

The Station Through Time. The park’s first vistors wouldn't recognize the depot you see today. , The first depot established in 1922, was a converted boxcar. It had once belonged to the Tanana Valley Railroad , a Fairbanks-area outfit that became part of the Alaska Railroad. Presumably, the depot arrived by rail. It did double duty as the community post office, and the first station was also the postmaster. , A new depot arrived in 1926, when a depot that stood some 20 miles south at Windy Station was reconstructed here. The octagonal building in the photo, to the left of the depot, held exhibits that viewed through the windows. Parks Superintendent Harry Karsten noted the railroad's plans for this "exhibit booth" in his April 1926 report. "In view of the fact that their schedule of transportation allows trains to remain at this depot for 10 minutes, it will give the traveler an opportunity to view mounted specimens of wild animal life which abounds in this locality and other spots adjacent to the Alaska Railroad." , By the end of 1941, a new depot was up and running. The Park Superintendent deemed it "the finest building for this purpose on the Alaska (railroad)." Time proved him right: the depot would serve for almost half a century. , Through much of the park's history, the arrival of the train was a social occasion that gathered park employees and locals. At Least once a week, the train brought the mail and groceries mail-ordered from Fairbanks or Anchorage, and a chance to catch up with neighbors and friends. , The depot you see today opened in 1988. It's a far cry from the early depots but the station experience is much the same. No doubt, there was a fleet of tour buses here to meet your train. As this picture shows, that‘s a custom that started long ago.