The Baudette Depot 

About

The Baudette Depot, built by the Canadian National Railways in 1923, replaced two earlier depots (1901 & 1908) both lost to fires. The Baudette Depot was a living, breathing entity. It was a place of constant movement, a place of joyous reunions and sad goodbyes, a place alive with stories. The stories didn't begin or end at the Depot, but a chapter took place there.

The 1923 Baudette Depot was abandoned by the Canadian National Railways in the mid-1980's. The Depot sat empty and abandoned for over twenty years. It once served as an integral part of the entire transportation system of the areas, when all of the traffic into or out of the country came by river or rail! Freight, groceries, mail, human and animal cargo came into the region "en masse" by rail. Products shipped out included timber, fish, furs, grain, and blueberries. Hundreds of people used the railroad and depot every year in the early days of the 20th century.

In 1997, the Depot Preservation Alliance (DPA) organized to preserve the Baudette Depot and adapt it for reuse. The Depot Preservation Alliance purchased the crumbling Depot from the Canadian National Railways in 1997 for $1.00.

The Depot sits on land leased from CN (Canadian National Railways), and listing on the National Register of Historic Places was accomplished in August 2005. From 1997 to 2007, a major capital renovation funding campaign was launched. Building renovation began in the Fall of 2010, with its completion in the Fall of 2011.

It has taken the collective effort, passion, and expertise of many local Baudette community members, friends, and many generations of committed citizens, all working together to keep the Baudette Depot "on track" from those 1997 days of dreams. The Baudette railroad depot was a living, breathing entity. It was a place of constant movement, a place of joyous reunions and sad goodbyes, a place alive with stories. The Baudette Train Depot is a place where many stories take place. The Depot is a "happening place" in the 21st century just as it was early in the 20th century. To make all of this happen, community support is vital. Thanks to creativity, investment, involvement, and generosity of many people - volunteers, donors, partners, individuals, families, businesses, and founders - it is the collective strength of our diverse community of supporters that lets us thrive.