Knife River Saves Its Depot

By Ken Buehler, Todd Lindahl and Paul von Goertz

The community of Knife River, an historic stop along the North Shore Scenic Railroad, is rallying to save a piece of its history, their Depot. Volunteers and contractors have done a remarkable job and have big plans for what is becoming an historic district focusing on Knife River’s past as a fishing village and a railroad town.

The Duluth & Iron Range Railway’s Lake Division connected Two Harbors to Duluth. It reached Knife River on Oct. 24, 1886.

Knife River became an important station stop along the new route of the D&IR. In 1899 the Alger Smith logging company is up and running and logs carried out of the woods by their Duluth & Northern Minnesota Railroad are interchanged to the D&IR at the Depot connection in Knife River. To handle the additional traffic, and better serve the community, the D&IR moved the original Lester River depot, built in 1886 for commuter traffic to downtown Duluth, up to Knife River.

The North Shore Scenic Railroad runs summer picnic trains and the Holiday Julebyen and related Troll Trains from Duluth to the now restored Knife River Depot. Go to duluthtrains.com for schedules and information (Subject to change).