It’s said that if you don’t remember the past you’re destined to repeat it. Well, some things are worth having around a second time. Our love of trains goes way beyond the simple aspects of operation or watching trains roll by. What we’re in love with is the entire idea of railroads. They represent a connection to the rest of the world. The “unknown” that might be over that next rise. The people and places we might not ever get to know. But with the rails to remind us, we can always dream…..

During my resent yearly pilgrimage to the Mid-West, I had an opportunity to experience first hand what railroading’s past can mean to a small farming town. Every fall my wonderful wife and I travel to a place called Wells, Minnesota. I help “Cousin Ted” with the harvest, and my wife helps her Mom get ready for winter. When we arrived this year, the town was all “abuzz” with preservation fever.

Let me fill the story out a bit. As with countless small communities across the country in the late 1800’s, Wells was truly a “no-place” until the railroad came to town. There were some Indians and trappers in the area at the time, but farming hadn’t caught on yet. The area didn’t get going until the “engine of change” made its appearance.

In January 1870 everything changed. A local Wells resident by the name of Col. Thompson personally paid for the first rail line into town. Up to 1882 there were three different railroads in the county that finally consolidated into the Minnesota Central and then centered their operations in Wells. In fact, for a number of years the town of Wells had the good fortune to host the roundhouse, shops and repair yard.

When the three railroads consolidated into the Minnesota Central, it was decided to build a “second to none” new depot in the up and coming town of Wells. Unfortunately, in 1887 the railroad moved its shops to another small town called Austin. This was a blow to Wells, but they already had that new depot that couldn’t be picked up and moved.

Time moved on, and the small town of Wells maintained the community focal point of the depot. At one time, there were six passenger trains a day, along with all the regular freight. And the very first diesel locomotive to pass through town was in 1953. This first diesel locomotive was to mark a major change for both the railroads and the nation as a hole.

As with the rest of the country, the perception of personal transportation in Wells changed. The American’s love affaire with the automobile doomed the passenger service most everywhere across the country. When the last passenger train rolled through Wells, it marked the end of the community’s depot. For a few years the railroad used the building as a storage area for track maintenance equipment. Eventually, the structure fell into such poor condition that it was simply closed up and forgotten.

I should say “forgotten by the railroad”. The local community never forgot the Wells depot. Many of the older folks around town used to regularly use the depot to get to and fro all around the area. When I asked friends and family if they ever used the depot, most everyone had at least one story to tell. I found that the local folks in “small town USA” have a long memory indeed.

What caught my attention was a front-page newspaper story about the effort to “Save The Depot”. OK, it’s just a small town once-a-week newspaper…. But it made the front page! Anyway, the article outlined the preservation effort that’s underway. It seems that the community doesn’t want to loose an important part of their past.

The preservation group has a matching funds grant lined up, but the local community still has to come up with a great deal of cash. To fill the coffers, they have hosted cake bakes, pancake breakfasts, direct money contributions, and even a booth at the local “Kernel Days”. It’s been reported that they are well on their way of collecting the needed $229,000. And all this fundraising in less than one year’s effort.

All things considered, it’s refreshing to enjoy the pleasures of “Small Town America”. At least in one small spot in our country, they don’t want to let go of the past. Will the folks in Wells generate enough money to save their towns main connection to the past before it’s lost forever? If I were a betting man, I would say yes. Whatever the outcome, it’s wonderful to see a community coming together to hold onto their heritage.