“The handsomest and best built structure of its kind on the Great Northern System”. That’s how James J. Hill described the newly-erected Wayzata train depot in 1906. The depot stands as a reminder of the city’s past, but also a symbol of peace between Hill and Wayzata – an olive branch offered following a tumultuous relationship.
Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
Hill was born in 1838 in Ontario, Canada. At the age of 18,
he left his country settling in St. Paul. In 1866, he became an agent for the
St. Paul Pacific Railroad Company. One year later, the railroad arrived in
Wayzata. The tracks were laid by St. Paul Pacific.
1873 was a pivotal year for Hill. A financial panic gripped
the country and crippled both St. Paul Pacific and Northern Pacific. Both went
bankrupt and Hill saw an opportunity. He and two other investors would later
purchase St. Paul Pacific.
In the beginning, Hill’s relationship with Wayzata was
troubled. Wayzata was incorporated as a village in 1883 and one of the first
actions it took was to demand that the tracks of Hill’s Great Northern Railroad
(previously St. Paul Pacific) the town sought to move the tracks 300 feet
back from the lake. Businesses were concerned with the smoke and sparks
from the engines.
This did not sit well with Hill. In retaliation, he built a
depot about a mile east of town. People had to trudge through a swamp to get
there. But the grudge wouldn’t last forever. Hill had a change of heart and
built a Tudor-style depot complete with platform canopies, steam heat, gas
lights and indoor bathrooms. Electricity
would come a year later. In addition to all of the bells and whistles, the
depot was much more convenient – that familiar spot near the corner of Lake
Street and Barry Avenue. Hill was on hand to christen the train stop with an
opening ceremony on August 5, 1906. Hill and Wayzata’s past disagreements were
now water under the railroad bridge.
Since 1975, during the weekend following Labor Day, Wayzata
has celebrated JJ Hill Days. It’s the “unofficial” end to summer fun along the
shores of Lake Minnetonka. There is food, music, a street market and parade
that includes a James J. Hill look-a-like. Watch closely, he’ll be the guy with
the white beard wearing a suit riding in a convertible. And he’ll be smiling.
It’s further proof that the city and the railroad man are still on good terms.
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