Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Company Passenger Station – Tower, MN - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This historical depot, once the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Company Passenger Station, now serves as the Tower-Soudan Historical Society History Center. It is a rather new addition to the National Register of Historic Places having been placed on the list in 2013. The surrounding train cars are also included. The depot is located in town and has a marker that tells more about its history. The text reads:

Tower Train Museum

When iron ore was discovered on the Vermilion Range, Charlemagne Tower, Sr., George Stone, Charlemagne Tower, Jr., and George Stuntz formed the Minnesota Iron Company and acquired the Duluth and Iron Range Railway (D & IR). In 1883 they constructed a railroad between Vermilion Range operations and Two Harbors so ore could be shipped to steel mills via the Great Lakes. To meet the completion deadline, 14,000 men toiled around the clock.

On July 31, 1884, ten wooden rail cars of iron ore hauled by a coal burning engine, left the Soudan Mine bound for Two Harbors. This historic 68 mile rail trip took seven hours. After the city was granted a charter, the railroad was extended into Tower in 1886.

That same year, the Illinois Steel Company, representing H.H. Porter, Cyrus McCormick, Marshall Field, and John D. Rockefeller, acquired a rich ore deposit near Ely, and bought the Minnesota Iron Company holdings, including the D & IR. In 1901 this company became the United States Steel Corporation.

The steam locomotive pictured was built in 1910 for the D & IR by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It was typical of those used to haul iron ore and passengers until 1953, when diesel locomotives were put into service.

National Register of Historic Places.

Street address: 404 Pine Street Tower, MN USA County / Borough / Parish: St. Louis County Year listed: 2013 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Entertainment/Recreation, Transportation Periods of significance: 2016 Historic function: Rail-related Current function: Museum Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

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