End O Line Railroad Park and Museum

The depot was the gathering place for ticket purchasing, sending/receiving mail and packages, and relaying telegraph messages. This proved to be the hub of activity for farmers, businessmen, grain merchants, lumber barons, and the tiling industry.

Caboose

The Grand Trunk Western Caboose, built in 1942, served Canada and parts of the northern United States. This was the office and home on rails for the conductor and brakemen.

School, Church and Courthouse

The Sunrise Country School, Currie's first church and a replica of Murray County's first courthouse which was originally located in Currie.

Sunrise School

District Number One, the Sunrise School, was moved to End-O-Line Park and restored by the Murray County Historical Society. The embossed tin ceilings and walls, vertical wainscoting, recitation bench and many blackboards are typical, but the triangular sunrise worked into the front and back of the schoolhouse are unique. The little one-room school with tin dinner pails, water cooler, wash basin, old world maps, bell tower and rope, ink wells and cloakrooms, will bring back fond memories to share with children.

Steam Engine

This Georgia Northern Steam Engine # 102, completed in June of 1923, was characteristic of those used on the Currie Branch Line. Powered by steam, produced by coal and water, this engine was the driving force of the railroad industry.

Upcoming Events

Fri May 14 @10:30AM - 12:00PM
Slaugher Slough Kiosk Unveiling Ceremony

Sat Jun 12 @01:00PM - 05:00PM
Open House

Sat Jul 17 @07:00AM - 11:00AM
Health Fair

Our Brochure
DOWNLOAD A BROCHURE HERE
 
Special Group Tours Available
The End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum is closed for the 2009 Season.     We are available for special events and tours throughout the year by appointment.      The railroad museum is a great place for a school tour, birthday party, or any other event.     Give us a call at 507-763-3708 or send a email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to make arrangements for a special group tour.    Don't forget to come see us in 2010!
 
End-O-Line Railroad Park

End-O-Line Park had its beginning in 1972 when Colleen Illg and Roxanne Probst, junior leaders in the Poco-a-Poco 4-H club in Currie, decided to clean around the turntable in the railroad yard.   With the help of 4-H Leaders their 4-H project called Community Pride inspired them to preserve the manual operation turntable for the future. The 4-H club cleaned the pit of the turntable and picked up and mowed the area around the turntable. What had been an eyesore now attracted attention as a pleasant roadside stop.

One of the 4-H Leaders, Louise Gervais, continued working at the park for 37 years helping to restore and maintain this "gem" of southwestern Minnesota.   As Director of the Park, Louise put a tremendous amount of time into the park making it the showcase it is today.

 

One reason the 4-H Club started the park was to remind people about how the railroads helped pioneers by bringing in all kinds of supplies like the mail, milk, coal, farm implements, canned goods, dry goods, etc. Little communities sprang up about seven miles apart on the railroad lines.

 

The 4-H Club next purchased the abandoned Chicago and Northwestern Depot for one dollar and were asked to remove it from railroad property so they decided to purchase about three acres of land across highway 38 to the east of the depot. This parcel of land contained the turntable. To help pay for the land and the moving of the depot the 4-H Club asked for monies from the City of Currie and the Murray County Board of Commissioners.

 

Over the years countless volunteers have been the planners, promoters, and the moving force in the year to year development of the park. Each year brought new challenges such as the construction of the engine house, the moving in of the Chicago and Northwestern water tower from Walnut Grove, the purchase of a Grand Trunk Western caboose, the moving in of a Chicago and Northwestern section foreman's home from Comfrey, the moving in of District #1 schoolhouse, the moving in of the little wooden Currie family store and the purchase of a Georgia Northern steam engine and coal tender.

 

Each year new projects and opportunities to improve the park present themselves and so we attract more school groups, more adult groups and more visitors from the general public.

 
                                                  Copyright © 2010. End O Line.