| 3/16/2007 Move it or lose it To the editor, Does anyone have an idea on how to save a 127-year-old train depot? As mentioned earlier in Mr. Rhoades' column in this paper, the old train
depot across the tracks from the post office needs to be removed from its
present location. Matt Mathiesen of the Mathiesen Grain Co. has approached
the preservation community and wants to save the building by having it moved
from its current location to give it a chance for a future life. The wood
frame structure, built in 1880, is roughly 25 by 65 ft. or a little over
1,500 sq. ft. This weathered icon of a distant time will soon face the flames of
indifference should those that care, not come up with a viable alternative -
and soon. This town was built on the rails of the track that brought it to life. In
the spring of 1869, Blair, the town, sprang up on either side of the east
end of a track laid from the Missouri River to Fremont, USA. Along that track flowed the people and things that were to make America
great and some of those people and things took a load off in Blair, at the
depot. This freight depot is the last remaining structure in Blair of the
railroad age that ushered in the town of Blair. What was happening around America at the time the depot was constructed?
Within four years prior to, there was Custer's undoing at the Little Big
Horn, Crazy Horse murdered at Fort Robinson, Chief Joseph's surrender near
Canada, the last federal troops leave the South to mark the end of the Civil
War reconstruction. Yet to occur, but within three years of 1880, are
Sitting Bull's surrender, the last cattle drive to Dodge City, the Earp's
take on the Clanton's at the OK Corral, Pat Garret bushwhacks Billy the Kid,
Jesse James is gunned down, the last large scale Buffalo hunt takes place on
the plains, and Buffalo Bill opens the "Wild West Show." Did any of the players involved in these precipitous events pass through
Blair and stop at this depot? Don't know. Doubt it. But did your
Grandfather? Grandmother? Good chance. Assuming they did, does that make the
depot worth saving? No. We can't save everything our grandparents picked up,
sat on, leaned on, or lived in, but we can and should try to save this
treasure of a bygone era - or pause long and hard before we send the last of
an era to the ash heap of oblivion. Key to the hope of finding a new home for this icon is getting the word
out to just about anyone who may know anyone who may have an idea. The idea
should pretty much center around moving the structure before spring
construction season (weeks not months) as it is currently standing in the
way of progress and the growth of the Grain Co. I think most everyone who has a shred of respect for their community's
past, would love to see the depot reconstituted in Blair as a noble
structure with real economic purpose (antiquarium, boutique, restaurant,
meeting hall, even a working out-building on a farm somewhere, etc.) but
other options, in descending order of preference, are: move it out of town,
salvage the material, or burn it to the ground. One of these outcomes will be selected by choice or indifference in the
coming weeks. In any case the old depot will be respectfully documented and will live
on, if not in our world, then in the cyber world of the Blair Historic
Preservation Alliance Web site. Please call me at 533-1113 if you have an idea worth pursuing or drop us
an email online. For the intellectually or morbidly curious, feel free to
simply check out interesting facts about the depot, and track its fate,
noble or ignoble, at blairhistory.com. Tom Kranda, president
|