Blair Depot 1880

Blair Depot 1880. . , The train depot was built at the crossroads of the north-south tracks of the old Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis and Omaha line (CSTPM&O) and the east-west tracks of the Sioux City and Pacific line. This 1880 depot was the second depot in Blair, taking over the function of the three-story Blair House Hotel and Depot built in 1869 located west of 16th Street and north of the railroad tracks. , In 1910 a brick building replaced this wooden 1880 structure. It was moved west a couple of blocks and used for storage and freight. Later it was again moved north across the tracks and west across Walker Avenue (today 16th Street) and used as a storage shed by the Blair Feed Mill. It stood unnoticed by most except railroad buffs and historians. , In 2007 Mathiesen Grain, who owned the property, wished to erect a new grain bin on the site, necessitating removal of the storage shed. Fortunately, the Mathiesens recognized the old shed's past as a historic train depot, and they contacted the Blair Historic Preservation Alliance before demolishing the structure. , With help from the City of Blair and local contractors, the building was moved two blocks to Lions Park the week of April 23, 2007. Work began to make the structure useable and presentable while funding could be secured. Eventually, funding from private, local, state, and federal sources was used to accomplish the full restoration and revitalization of the building for public use. , The Depot in the Park is now owned and operated by the City of Blair and can be reserved for use as a picnic shelter, event space, or performance area. Local history is displayed in the smaller room on the “passenger” side of the depot.