By Brian Ojanpa
The Free Press
WELLS — Goodbye pigeon droppings and leaky roof, hello rebirth for a historic Wells rail depot given up for dead just a few years ago.
“Came real close,” Wells Historical Society Vice President Mike Beckmann said of railroad company plans to raze the structure.
But then civic pride intervened and, $325,000 and a ton of sweat equity later, the 1903 totally refurbished depot is once again strutting its stuff.
“It’s kind of a dream that happened,” Historical Society Board Member Jim Ramaker said of the effort. “Those kinds of dreams don’t happen very often.”
The depot, which will become a museum paying homage to Wells-area history, was slated for demolition in 2005 by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad, which planned to build a storage facility on the site.
The Historical Society had wanted to buy it for years, only to be rebuffed. But when the rail company opted to build elsewhere, it sold the building for $1 to the Wells historical group.
At the time, the society had $300 in its kitty and was ill-equipped to do anything with the building. But after scoring a series of grants, augmented by a slew of community fundraisers, about $400,000 has been raised.
“Held a lot of pancake suppers,” Ramaker said as he gazed upon the depot’s gleaming original wooden floor and ticket booth, its period-correct paint scheme, and a massive freight scale that cost more than $5,000 to restore.
Restoration began last summer with the bulk of the work done by members. Landscaping will be done in spring, and fundraising will be ongoing to cover utilities and other operating costs.
The depot’s “witch hat”-style roof is its main architectural distinction. Beckmann said the biggest restoration challenge was finding bricks color-compatible with many of the originals that had to be replaced.
The depot’s interior largely consists of two waiting rooms — one for men, one for women, per custom at the turn of the century.
Why the separation?
“Because the men spit,” Beckmann said. “That’s the story, anyway.”
A grand opening will be held in spring. By that time the depot should have its share of museum items on display.
“And the displays will rotate,” Beckmann said. “It won’t be just, ‘Here it is; we’re done.’” We want to keep it fresh.”
