Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Throughout its 60 years of operation, tens of thousands of people passed through Calumet’s Mineral Range Depot. The ticket area, with its rich, wood trim, mosaic tile and the oak bench on the left are original to the 1908 structure.

CALUMET TOWNSHIP — The former Mineral Range Railroad Depot, located on the corner of Ninth and Oak streets, has new owners. Their plans are to completely restore the structure.

Calumet resident Jim Flood and his wife, Stacey, finalized the purchase of the building earlier in March from Calumet Township, which purchased it in 2017.

The big question everyone asks, he said, is what he and his wife plan for the building.

“What we want to do is make this space for the community to enjoy,” he said. “We want to provide lodging upstairs, similar to the Oak Street Inn, located across the street from the depot, which we’ve done for 23 years.”

Preparing the former depot for public use will take some time.

Restoration plans include replacing the overhang portion of the roof. It is one of the interesting features of the building, Flood said. It will be a very exciting, interesting, and difficult job to rebuild them exactly as they are.

“It’s going to be a craftsman’s job,” he said, “and we have the experience to do it.”

The woodwork and trim is intact and original to the building, as are the wooden seats, benches, and the mosaic tile floor surface.

“I believe most of the paint in the entire building is original to its construction date,” said Flood.

The depot was built by the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic (DSS&A) Railroad in 1908. The depot remained in use for the next 60 years. On the main floor were ticket offices, separate waiting rooms for ladies and gentlemen, and men’s and women’s bathrooms. On the second floor were the offices of the dispatcher, clerks and the railroad superintendent. The depot remained in use until March 1968, when the last train left Calumet.

Flood said the first floor will be opened up for special events such as graduation parties, wedding receptions, family reunions and similar events, as well as community events.

“I’m partial to art,” Flood said, “so I’m thinking maybe an art fair every summer. I’m also partial rocks and minerals, and I’m thinking of little rock and mineral shows.”

A Michigan Technological University student has made the depot a project for her History of American Architecture class. Her task is to document and analyze the physical changes the building has undergone through the years, as well as its changing impact on the community. In its day, thousands of immigrants passed through the depot when they arrived in Calumet, and thousands of residents left the area through the same facility. During the labor strike of 1913-14, the depot saw the arrival and departure of officers of the Western Federation of Miners, and state and federal officials coming and going as they investigated the causes and impacts of the strike.

“The building has quite a few structural deficiencies, which we will correct,” said Flood. “We’ll wrestle it back into shape, put it back in order, but over all, the building is in fantastic condition.”

The depot has already started attracting attention, and not just from the local population. Earlier this month, the name of the Oak Street Inn page, on Facebook, was changed to Oak Street Inn and Depot.

“We’re starting to get a big following of railroad enthusiasts, who also want to come visit and see the depot,” said Flood. Many have also offered donations to the restoration project.

As for when the depot will be ready for its new role in the community, Flood said that will take time.

“Well, it’s a big job,” he said, “and we want to do it right. So, sometime in 2025.”