The Old Brule Heritage Society has been given the unique opportunity to take possession of an early rural railroad depot and restore the structure to its original state. Once restoration is complete we will furnish the depot with period artifacts and open it for interpretive tours. The depot was built by the Northern Pacific Railway Company (NP) in 1900 and sat on the NP’s Wisconsin First Subdivision (Ashland Branch) and served the community of Blueberry, Wisconsin and the surrounding area.
A Brief History of Our Depot
The Northern Pacific Railway built their line from Superior to Ashland between the years of 1883 and 1885. The arrival of the NP and other railroads provided a much improved and reliable transportation source for the early settlers at a time when roads were few and passable only when conditions were favorable. The new mode of rail transportation spurred the rapid settlement and growth of our region as well as around the rest of the country. To promote new settlement and business along their lines and act as an interface with the public, the NP and other railroads adopted a general practice of erecting depot facilities every three to six miles along their rights-of-way. Many of these early depots served their communities in several ways. Before the first settlers could construct adequate community facilities the railroad depot would often serve as the first classrooms, post office, general store, meeting center and even as a place of worship.
The first depot in Blueberry was a small log structure built by the NP around 1885. By the late 1890’s the facility had become to small to adequately serve the rapidly growing population and logging related activities in the area. In 1899 local residents, unhappy with their small depot petitioned the NP to provide a better and larger depot facility at this site. Northern Pacific officials were persuaded and the following year funding was approved for a new depot facility at Blueberry. The present frame style structure was built in 1900 at a cost of $450.00. The cost for building materials was listed at $250.00 and $200.00 covered labor expenses. For the next six decades the depot and the rail line served a vital role to the Blueberry area by providing rail passenger service and transporting freight between Superior and Ashland WI.
The depot remained in service until around 1960, at which time rail passenger service and local freight deliveries declined to a point where the NP discontinued customer service at this site.The NP sold the depot to a private party and the structure was moved a short distance from the company property. During the ensuing years the building has been used as a residence, an antiques shop and for storage purposes, all the while the owners kept it well maintained. This 1962 photo was taken shortly after the NP retired the depot. The 17′ x 36′ structure has been moved off of NP property and was used as an antiques store at this time.