CNR Train Station

    The station building was constructed in 1904 and was initially located where the CN railway crosses Highway 35. In 1909 the building was moved 75 yards to the east across from the present Wadena Hotel. It was relocated to the present site in September 1991 to serve not only as a Museum but also as a tourist information center.

    The wooden suitcase - small and large trunks in the station entry - once contained the only possessions and precious keepsakes the new settlers could bring with them. Some such keepsakes no doubt became heirlooms to be passed on to their descendants, while a number of the articles have also been donated to this museum.

    The station entry was originally the freight shed. In 1912 an addition was built on, making the entry a waiting room for the passengers with the new addition becoming the freight shed. Later, when trucks were use for draying, another addition was built on with the floor at a higher and more convenient level for handling the freight.

    The remaining rooms in the station were used as the station masters living quarters. The various pieces of furniture in these rooms were brought to this area by the settlers when they arrived in the early 1900's, many from Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces. The address on the back of the china and writing desk cabinet is "To Otto Tolen, Wadena, N.W.T." from Wadena, Minnesota. Upstairs, in one bedroom, is a child's crib that was used approximately 90 years ago; the wicker rocking chair, trunk, and spool bed were brought from Nova Scotia. The covers on the bed also tell an important story of the activities and social life of the pioneers within the area.