Moose Lake station

Moose Lake station in Moose Lake, Minnesota, United States, is a depot built in 1907 by the Soo Line Railroad. The building was one of the few buildings that survived the 1918 Cloquet Fire, and it was used to provide shelter for those left homeless in the fires.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 as the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Depot.

Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Depot
Location840 Folz Blvd., Moose Lake, Minnesota
Coordinates46°27′14″N 92°46′7″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1907
ArchitectSoo Line Railroad
NRHP reference No.86003813[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 17, 1994

The railroad first built a depot in this location in 1873. The 1918 Cloquet Fire started on October 12, 1918, with a background of a hot, dry summer, followed by a fall with little rain. The fire started on a windy day when a spark, possibly thrown from a passing train, ignited nearby brush. Much of the area, from Sturgeon Lake to Moose Lake, Cloquet, and close to Duluth, was devastated by the fire. It killed 453 people, and 52,000 homes were destroyed. The American Red Cross housed the homeless in "fire shacks". The residents of Moose Lake decided to rebuild the community.

The depot now serves as the Depot and Fires of 1918 Museum that tells the stories of the tragedy and the heroism brought out by the fire. The museum is operated by the Moose Lake Area Historical Society.

The Soo Line tracks are now gone, replaced by a recreational trail, the Soo Line Trail.[3]

Preceding station Soo Line Following station
Solana
toward Brooten
 Brooten – Duluth Nemadji
toward Duluth
Kettle River
toward Plummer
 Plummer – Moose Lake Terminus

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-448-3.
  3. Wurzer, Cathy (2008). Tales of the Road: Highway 61. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-87351-626-6.
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