The Midland Depot has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Midland Depot was built by the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1907. The last passenger train went through Midland on October 24, 1960. The depot was purchased by the Midland Pioneer Museum Association and moved 600 feet to the northwest, its current location, in 1973. The building was repurposed as a museum and houses many historical artifacts pertaining to Midland’s history.
State historic preservation officer and director of the State Historical Society Jay Vogt says the Midland Depot illustrates the historic trend of railroad development across South Dakota in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He says it also highlights the towns that were established in association with railroad development.
In 1906, railroads were interested in developing West River South Dakota. The CNW was in race with its competitor, the Milwaukee Road out of Chamberlain, to lay a line between the Missouri River and the Black Hills. The CNW beat the Milwaukee by a month when it finished a line, complete with 16 depots, between the two cities. The branch line, which ran from Pierre to Rapid City, was known as the PRC & NW Railway, which stood for the Pierre, Rapid City and North West Railway. Railroad employees said that PRC & NW stood for Pretty Rough Country and No Water Railway, due to the challenges faced in developing West River South Dakota.
Many of South Dakota’s depots have been demolished or severely altered. Only five wood-frame depots in the state are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register is the official federal list of properties identified as important in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture. The State Historic Preservation Office of the State Historical Society works in conjunction with the National Park Service, which oversees the National Register program, to list the properties.
