Durand Union Station
P.O. Box 106
200
Railroad Street
Durand, MI 48429
Office Hours:
Tuesday to Friday
9 AM to 5 PM
Telephone:
(989)288-3561
Fax:
(989)288-3494
Email:
Durand Union Station
In loving memory of Clayton
Timlick
a Grand Trunk Western R.R. engineer for 36 years
The crowd began to gather At the setting of the
sun, To welcome home their hero As he made his
final run.
His life was like a train ride He would travel
day by day, Often calling, "All Aboard!" To all
those along the way.
His hands, once strong and steady, Now shook
beneath the strain, As he pulled back on the
throttle To slow his moving train.
The lonesome whistle's mournful cry Could be
heard around the bend- The engine's final
tribute To an old and faithful friend.
Now safely in the station As the end was drawing
near, He shut down that grand old engine Mourned
by those he held so dear.
Then came this proclamation As he closed his
final run, "His journey has not ended- It's now
only just begun!"
There is so much more to life Than our mortal
eyes can see; All those who trust in Jesus Will
live eternally.
Life's often like a train ride, People come and
go away; All begin and have an ending; But in
our hearts he'll always stay.
The village of Durand was built up around the railroads
in the late 1870's. Durand Union Station was designed by Spier and Rohms
and originally built in 1903. Eighteen months thereafter it was almost
completely destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1905.
This was a very busy station as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor
Railroads crossed at grade there.
During the early 1900's when the railroad industry was at its
peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains, and 78 freight trains passed
through Durand daily. Durand Union Station handled approximately 3,000
passengers per day, making it a prospering hub of the industry.
America came into maturity riding the rails. The railroad helped
build, shape, and define the America we live in today. Railroads helped
open the frontiers to settlement, and soon after, to industrialization.
The decline of rail traffic started at the end of WWI
and culminated in 1974 when Grand Trunk determined it could no longer
justify the cost of maintaining the station and it was abandoned. The old
depot's destruction appeared imminent, but the community rallied to save
it and in 1979 the City purchased it for $1.00. Since then, it has become
the State Railroad History Museum.
Durand Union Station itself reminds us of the golden
years of railroading. The Depot captures the rich essence of railroading
during its reign of glory. The building contained a formal dining room as
well as a snack counter complete with swivel stools and a rack of comic
books selling for a nickel each, you could also buy a daily paper from a
nearby newsboy. A large postal box collected the mail, which was sent by
rail to its destination. The second floor of the building held railroad
offices and a sleeping area for train crews. The lower level of the
massive depot, once the second busiest train station in Michigan, has been
renovated to its original grandeur. Terrazzo floors gleam, beautiful oak
trimmed windows provide views of the surrounding tracks, and the restored
ticket cage is reminiscent of the turn of the century. Because of its
unusual Chateau Romanesque architecture, the Durand Depot has gained
prominence as one of the most photographed train stations in America.
Passengers still walk the corridors of the depot to board their train.
The Amtrak Blue Water eastbound to Port Huron and westbound to Chicago
make daily stops at the Durand Union Station. Thirty or more freight
trains pass the station daily providing for excitement and photo
opportunities for rail fans on a regular basis. All the activity proves
that while waiting on the depot platform, people can still experience the
sights and sounds of railroading and imagine what it was like decades ago.
The depot is also the State Railroad History Museum, an educational and
entertaining source of Michigan's rich railroad history.
The museum gallery features new exhibits several times per
year to pay tribute to the colorful heritage of the railroader, and to the
contribution of Michigan’s railroads to lumbering, mining, agriculture,
and industry. The Museum Information Center and Archives contains a wealth
of railroad information for rail enthusiasts, researchers, and
genealogists. Included in the collection are photographs, ledgers,
technical railroad information, union materials, and a variety of other
documents pertaining to railroading in Michigan.
For a first-hand look at railroading of yesterday and today, Durand
Union Station is an interesting and exciting place to visit.
* Wallace
Circus Wreck *
News From Harper Hospital *
*
Raymond Stevenson Collection
*