Koochiching County Minnesota Railroad Stations

KOOCHICHING

COUNTY

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EXISTING STATIONS
Station Name	Original Railroad	Current Location	Type	Date Built	Current Use	Track Status	Building Material	More Info
grand falls		????	C	????	Residence	In Use	Wood
international falls		301 Second Avenue (GPS: 48.602516, -93.401898)	C	1947	Civic	In Use	Brick
Little Fork		Relocated to a farm north of Little Fork at the dead end of UT 249, #5375 (the driveway going NW). (GPS: 48.42136, -93.55371)	C	1907	Private	None	Wood
Margie		Deer Road	C	1960	Hunting Cabin	None	Metal
Ranier		Main Street at Spruce Street (GPS: 48.614767, -93.349267)	C	????	Railraod	In Use	Wood
STATIONS OF THE PAST
Station Name	Original Railroad	Notes
Big Falls (Ripple)		This was the original depot in Big Falls, which was originally built by the Minnesota and International, but ownership was changed to the Northern Pacific, when they bought this line outright in 1941. According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1905 and measured 21'x75'. This station was either originally called "Ripple," or that was a seperate station.
Big Falls		A later-generation station.
Big Falls	Toomey Williams RR	The Toomey-Williams line was a local logging railroad that operated from Big Falls, and went west into the Pine Island Forest. It then crossed the Sturgeon river and also did interchange service with the Minnesota and International Railway. It was thirty-three miles long and started in 1923. It was considered a Red River logging railroad, because it went west toward the Red River Valley towards North Dakota. This line operated two 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotives, and a 10-ton capacity Plymouth internal combustion gasoline engine industrial switching locomotive the line got in 1928. Some flat cars were supplied by the Minnesota and International Railway. The logging camp buildings for this line were made to fit onto flat cars, which made the camp mobile, along with the operation. This was unique for a Minnesota logging railroad. There may have been a permanent station in Big Falls, but this line had servicing up and down the line, using facility maintenance cars. This line stopped operations and rail was taken up in 1935. --Note by Howard Glockzin
Craig		This station was on the north bank of the Big Fork River. It serviced a logging camp known as Camp 29, and Craig was the town that serviced that camp. Craig was also the terminus of the MD&W's Deer River Line, which ran between Littlefork and Craig, about 30 miles. The other part of Craig was south of the Big Fork River and served by the Minneapolis & Rainy River Railway. There was to be a wooden trestle built across the Big Fork River connecting the two rail lines. However, the building materials for the trestle were delivered to the south bank of the Big Fork River and it was never built (the materials subsequently sat there and rotted). So the two parts of Craig remained seperated by rail.
Craig		The town of Craig was in Koochiching County and the village was on both sides of the Big Fork River. About a half mile south of the river is the county line between Koochiching and Itasca. On the Itasca side of the line was a general store, MacAffee's, and a few residences. This area was known as Craigville (or Craigsville). The M&RR did make at stop at MacAffee's in Craigville when they first extended the line north and had a wye there, but there was no stand-alone station there. They soon extended all of the way to the river at Craig in anticipation of connecting with the Backus Line, and built a depot at Craig. Around the 1930s, Craigville kind of disappeared as the few folks there moved away. Craig still had some activity until about the mid 1970s when the last two saloons closed and the few remaining residents moved away. The few remaining buildings were mysteriously burned around 1980 and there is no visible clue today that there was once a thriving town there. Today the area locals use the terms Craig and Craigville interchangeably to refer to the townsite on the river in Koochiching County and most are not aware that Craigville was actually a separate settlement just a bit south of Craig.
Ericsburg		An early station.
Ericsburg		A later station.
Falls Junction
Gemmell (Stoner)		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x48'.
Happy Land		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a 12'x16' passenger shelter was built here in 1907.
International Falls		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, the station was built in 1907 and measured 32'x50'. It was on the NE corner of 2nd Avenue and 4th Street at GPS: 48.601893, -93.401899.
International Falls		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a freight station was built in 1909 and measured 28'x143'. It was on the SE corner of 2nd Avenue and 4th Street at GPS: 48.601469, -93.401889
International Falls		This was used along with the Minnesota and International station in town, but had it's own roundhouse, and yard facilities as well. This was the main station for all operations pertaining to the Minnesota Dakota and Western Railroad. --Howard Glockzin
Little Fork		According to a local source, this station was moved and used as a house for an elderly couple on property owned by a timber company. After the couple passed away, the company demolished the building.
Little Fork		Littlefork was the point which the Minnesota Dakota and Western went off of the Minnesota and International right of way, then commenced onto its Deer River Line to Craig at the north bank of the Bigfork River. It might make sense that MD&W may have operated a station in Littlefork to handle the interchange. --Howard Glockzin
Loman		Loman was the starting point for which the MD&W had grand plans to extend into North Dakota for its vast crops of wheat. There was to be a large flour mill to be built in International Falls, which never came to fruition, so the terminaus westward for the MD&W ended up being at Loman.
Margie		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x48'. This was the same station plan as Gemmell.
Mizpah		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x47'.
Nakota		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, there was only a gravel platform and station sign here as of that year.
Northome		This original Northome depot was "located next to the railroad tracks on the west end of Main Street. It was a red, two-story, wooden structure. Ed Dalton was then the depot agent, and he and his wife resided in the upstairs living quarters of the depot" (P. Pat McCarvill, in History of Koochiching County, 1983).
Northome		This station replaced the one listed above and was about one block north of where the original station stood. Passenger service ended in 1968 and the tracks were removed in 1985.
Ranier
ranier
Ray
Ridge (Gemmell Pit)		The name of this station was changed to Ridge in 1939.
Rockton (Rockton Spur)		This town and station were about the mid-point along the Deer River Line between Littlefork and Craig. When the MD&W stopped its linehaul logging operations in 1947, and the rail was taken up, Rockton Spur was where the flat cars carrying the rail, along with other MD&W equipment, were parked and left. The Iron Horse Central Rail Museum has found MD&W caboose #207 parked in that area, and is currently in the process of restoring it.
Waukauha		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a 10'x14' passenger shelter was built here in 1911.
Wisner		According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, there was only a gravel platform and station sign here as of that year.
1898 KOOCHICHING COUNTY RAILROAD MAP
KOOCHICHING COUNTY WAS PART OF ITASCA COUNTY UNTIL 1906.
Notes About Existing Stations... International Falls (NP) - Houses the International Falls Chamber of Commerce. Little Fork (M&I) - The station was built in 1907 after the NP passed through town. It was sold in 1972 by BN to Frank Porkony and moved to his farm. According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, the station was built in 1907 and measured 32'x50'. Margie (NP) - This station replaced the former depot, which closed in April 1959, and was located on the south edge of town just north of Dinner Creek. This depot was along the tracks north/northeast of Margie.

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EXISTING STATIONS

Station
Name

Original
Railroad

Current
Location

Type

Date
Built

Current
Use

Track
Status

Building
Material

More
Info

grand falls

????

Residence

In Use

Wood

international falls

301 Second Avenue
(GPS: 48.602516, -93.401898)

1947

Civic

In Use

Brick

Little Fork

Relocated to a farm north of Little Fork at the dead end of UT 249, #5375 (the driveway going NW). (GPS: 48.42136, -93.55371)

1907

Private

None

Wood

Margie

Deer Road

1960

Hunting
Cabin

None

Metal

Ranier

Main Street at Spruce Street
(GPS: 48.614767, -93.349267)

????

Railraod

In Use

Wood

STATIONS OF THE PAST

Station
Name

Original
Railroad

Notes

Big Falls
(Ripple)

This was the original depot in Big Falls, which was originally built by the Minnesota and International, but ownership was changed to the Northern Pacific, when they bought this line outright in 1941. According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1905 and measured 21'x75'. This station was either originally called "Ripple," or that was a seperate station.

Big Falls

A later-generation station.

Big Falls

Toomey
Williams
RR

The Toomey-Williams line was a local logging railroad that operated from Big Falls, and went west into the Pine Island Forest. It then crossed the Sturgeon river and also did interchange service with the Minnesota and International Railway. It was thirty-three miles long and started in 1923. It was considered a Red River logging railroad, because it went west toward the Red River Valley towards North Dakota. This line operated two 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotives, and a 10-ton capacity Plymouth internal combustion gasoline engine industrial switching locomotive the line got in 1928. Some flat cars were supplied by the Minnesota and International Railway. The logging camp buildings for this line were made to fit onto flat cars, which made the camp mobile, along with the operation. This was unique for a Minnesota logging railroad. There may have been a permanent station in Big Falls, but this line had servicing up and down the line, using facility maintenance cars. This line stopped operations and rail was taken up in 1935. --Note by Howard Glockzin

Craig

This station was on the north bank of the Big Fork River. It serviced a logging camp known as Camp 29, and Craig was the town that serviced that camp. Craig was also the terminus of the MD&W's Deer River Line, which ran between Littlefork and Craig, about 30 miles. The other part of Craig was south of the Big Fork River and served by the Minneapolis & Rainy River Railway. There was to be a wooden trestle built across the Big Fork River connecting the two rail lines. However, the building materials for the trestle were delivered to the south bank of the Big Fork River and it was never built (the materials subsequently sat there and rotted). So the two parts of Craig remained seperated by rail.

Craig

The town of Craig was in Koochiching County and the village was on both sides of the Big Fork River. About a half mile south of the river is the county line between Koochiching and Itasca. On the Itasca side of the line was a general store, MacAffee's, and a few residences. This area was known as Craigville (or Craigsville). The M&RR did make at stop at MacAffee's in Craigville when they first extended the line north and had a wye there, but there was no stand-alone station there. They soon extended all of the way to the river at Craig in anticipation of connecting with the Backus Line, and built a depot at Craig. Around the 1930s, Craigville kind of disappeared as the few folks there moved away. Craig still had some activity until about the mid 1970s when the last two saloons closed and the few remaining residents moved away. The few remaining buildings were mysteriously burned around 1980 and there is no visible clue today that there was once a thriving town there. Today the area locals use the terms Craig and Craigville interchangeably to refer to the townsite on the river in Koochiching County and most are not aware that Craigville was actually a separate settlement just a bit south of Craig.

Ericsburg

An early station.

Ericsburg

A later station.

Falls Junction

Gemmell
(Stoner)

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x48'.

Happy Land

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a 12'x16' passenger shelter was built here in 1907.

International
Falls

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, the station was built in 1907 and measured 32'x50'. It was on the NE corner of 2nd Avenue and 4th Street at GPS: 48.601893, -93.401899.

International Falls

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a freight station was built in 1909 and measured 28'x143'. It was on the SE corner of 2nd Avenue and 4th Street at GPS: 48.601469, -93.401889

International
Falls

This was used along with the Minnesota and International station in town, but had it's own roundhouse, and yard facilities as well. This was the main station for all operations pertaining to the Minnesota Dakota and Western Railroad. --Howard Glockzin

Little Fork

According to a local source, this station was moved and used as a house for an elderly couple on property owned by a timber company. After the couple passed away, the company demolished the building.

Little Fork

Littlefork was the point which the Minnesota Dakota and Western went off of the Minnesota and International right of way, then commenced onto its Deer River Line to Craig at the north bank of the Bigfork River. It might make sense that MD&W may have operated a station in Littlefork to handle the interchange. --Howard Glockzin

Loman

Loman was the starting point for which the MD&W had grand plans to extend into North Dakota for its vast crops of wheat. There was to be a large flour mill to be built in International Falls, which never came to fruition, so the terminaus westward for the MD&W ended up being at Loman.

Margie

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x48'. This was the same station plan as Gemmell.

Mizpah

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a combination station was built here in 1907 and measured 16'x47'.

Nakota

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, there was only a gravel platform and station sign here as of that year.

Northome

This original Northome depot was "located next to the railroad tracks on the west end of Main Street. It was a red, two-story, wooden structure. Ed Dalton was then the depot agent, and he and his wife resided in the upstairs living quarters of the depot" (P. Pat McCarvill, in History of Koochiching County, 1983).

Northome

This station replaced the one listed above and was about one block north of where the original station stood. Passenger service ended in 1968 and the tracks were removed in 1985.

Ranier

ranier

Ray

Ridge
(Gemmell Pit)

The name of this station was changed to Ridge in 1939.

Rockton
(Rockton Spur)

This town and station were about the mid-point along the Deer River Line between Littlefork and Craig. When the MD&W stopped its linehaul logging operations in 1947, and the rail was taken up, Rockton Spur was where the flat cars carrying the rail, along with other MD&W equipment, were parked and left. The Iron Horse Central Rail Museum has found MD&W caboose #207 parked in that area, and is currently in the process of restoring it.

Waukauha

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, a 10'x14' passenger shelter was built here in 1911.

Wisner

According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, there was only a gravel platform and station sign here as of that year.

1898 KOOCHICHING COUNTY RAILROAD MAP

KOOCHICHING COUNTY WAS PART OF ITASCA COUNTY UNTIL 1906.

Notes About Existing Stations...

International Falls (NP) - Houses the International Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Little Fork (M&I) - The station was built in 1907 after the NP passed through town. It was sold in 1972 by BN to Frank Porkony and moved to his farm. According to the NP Valuation Records from 1917, the station was built in 1907 and measured 32'x50'.

Margie (NP) - This station replaced the former depot, which closed in April 1959, and was located on the south edge of town just north of Dinner Creek. This depot was along the tracks north/northeast of Margie.