Wander Minnesota: The Making Of A Museum
Many times I've written about the strong museum presence we have in Minnesota. But it's always interesting and fun to find a newcomer trying to make its way.
That's what's currently happening out in the farm fields between Jordan and New Prague.
It might look like nothing but farming is happening, but a museum is actually forming.
As you drive on Minnesota Highway 21 from Jordan to New Prague you'll first see a few train cars on the left side of the road, followed shortly by a sign near a motel noting the presence of the Gopher State Railway Museum.
If you see the sign, you've gone too far; turn around and turn onto the dirt road at 252nd Street West, back where the first collection of train cars is.
This is a labor of love run by railroad and history enthusiasts who volunteer their time and effort to working on building this museum. At the moment, it's a small collection of cars.
But there is one noticeable surprise.
What looks from the outside to be a plain wooden train car of no particular interest turns out to have a surprising interior.
Though not in pristine shape, this was clearly an upscale train car. Volunteers for the museum have done some research through railway records and the Minnesota Historical Society, and say they are 99 percent sure this was the private train car of none other than Minnesota railroad magnate James J. Hill.
The car has been salvaged, although it's not in its original shape. There are electric lights now, when originally it would have been outfitted with gas. There are remnants of detailed woodwork and etched glass, plush leather seats and many amenities the average train car would not have.
Those cabinets you see in the upper part of the above photo contain sleeping spaces. The seats below would also pull out to make a bed, so a relatively small car could hold several people.
Though small, this museum has big ambitions in terms of preserving and restoring these historic rail relics.
This is the first year it's been open to the public, and it will be open at least twice more this fall. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19 during neighboring New Prague's Dozinky Days, and from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.
There is no admission fee, but donations are more than welcome. The museum currently owns several acres and rents them out to local farmers to bring in income, but is trying to raise funds to construct a building to both protect the current collection of train cars and work on restoring them.
Volunteers recently worked on reinforcing a piece of railroad track, on a hot, humid day no less, in hope that they can offer rides on the engine in the background during Dozinky Days. There are also tentative ideas for having pumpkin rides and Santa rides in the future.
This is about 45 - 60 minutes south of the Twin Cities, depending on where you are, but you can make a day of it by also visiting Jordan and New Prague. While there, don't forget to visit the giant candy store near Jordan.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.
