Did you know that the Jackson Train Depot in Michigan is the oldest continuously operating train station in our nation? In the mid 1800’s brave stories of strength had taken place here as the Jackson community had rallied around freedom seekers who had been escaping slavery. The founder of The Salvation Army, William Booth, had started his national tour here! As well as several U.S. Presidents who have traveled by train to Jackson and given rousing speeches. An amazingly detailed restoration had been completed in 1978! History is brimming from these bricks! Join me for a peek into the past along the tracks of this 148 year old community hub.

I headed around the building to the rails for another perspective when suddenly a distant train whistle blew. A thrill zipped through me. For nearly a 150 years these whistles have been wrapped in hope. The hope of freedom. The hope of reuniting with loved ones. The hope of goods being delivered. The hope of traveling to the world beyond.

As the train had rounded the bend and clacked closer, excited expectation had filled the air. People had gathered on the platform awaiting their metal chariot.

The West End Depot had replaced the East End Freight Station, a mile and a half away, in 1872. By 1876 the current brick structure had been erected.

The Restoration

Stepping into the Jackson Depot had felt like I’d crossed a mysterious portal and had been transported into 1876. The detailed woodwork had gleamed. Honestly without a Victorian dress, I felt out of place wearing my “adventure pants” and casual t-shirt.

I admired the work of those who had revitalized this beautiful station. Moments later I found a plaque which had named the contributing members.

A Train Trip With Cousins

In 2005 when Aunt Carol and I had taken our five young cousins on a ‘field trip,’ train ride from Jackson to Kalamazoo, I hadn’t taken the time to appreciate the restoration work which had been done.

So, today I would like the properly appreciate The Depot Restoration Committee, all of the Donors and the contractors who’d performed meticulous work! The Jackson Depot captures the craftsmanship of an era long past. It’s an exquisite living museum!

Underground Railroad – Freedom Seekers

Did you know that Jackson had been a main corridor for slaves escaping to Canada? The East End Freight Depot had been ideal for hiding and gaining access to open cars. As hazardous as jumping on these train cars had been, they had provided escaped slaves direct transport to Detroit, then Canada.

Linda Hass, a member of the Jackson County Historical Society, had spent five years researching the stories of the Adam Crosswhite family and John White, another slave, who’d escaped from posses formed by their slave owners.

Adam Crosswhite and his family had been enslaved in Kentucky. Traveling by moonlight with the assistance of many along “The Underground Railroad,” the Crosswhite family had made their way to Marshall, Michigan. In 1847 when “Slave Patrols” had burst into Marshall pursuing the Crosswhite family, the town had rallied around the family who had been seeking freedom. The community had provided distractions to the posse while concealing the Crosswhites with an escape route to the Jacksonburg Depot. The family crept aboard a Detroit bound train on their way to Canada. They had arrived safely across the border and had established a successful life.

Linda Hass had delved into another story which had taken place the same year. John White, an escaped slave, had been working as a farmhand when his previous owner had led an angry mob into Norvell Township searching for John White. The Jackson residents had once again protected the freedom seeker and assisted John White in boarding a train to Detroit while distracting the posse.

“Iron horses were faster than flesh-and-blood horses – the trains literally meant the difference between life and death and that’s just a part of why we’re celebrating the trains’ heritage and the trains’ role in their escapes,” Linda Hass had stated at the depot’s February 2021 presentation. The historical committee had been making an effort to designate the Jackson Depot as significant to the Underground Railroad history.

The station had already held a place on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002. However, Derrick James, Amtrak’s Senior Manager, had said “An Underground Railroad designation would further highlight the building’s history as the oldest continuously operating train station in the country.”

On Saturday, May 13, 2023 the Jackson Depot had been added to the National Park Service’s “National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.” Two historical markers had been unveiled during last year’s celebration.

William and Catherine Booth Celebrated in Jackson

Have you ever wondered how the Salvation Army had gotten started? Who led the organization? Well, it had been William and Catherine Booth, starting in 1865 based in London, England. Following our U.S. Civil War, their concept of caring for those in need had caught on across our country with several “Salvation Army Barracks” being organized. Several years later the Booths had started their United States tour in Jackson, Michigan!

Jackson’s first “Salvation Army Barracks” had been established at 210 Francis Street, two years before the General’s arrival. (Later the Jackson headquarters had been moved to 806 East Pearl Street.) So by the time General William Booth and Catherine were planning a visit, the town of Jackson had been eagerly excited to honor the duo.

A brass band from Grand Rapids led the torchlight parade welcoming 57 year old, General William Booth, and his wife, Catherine, on October 29, 1886. At the Jackson’s Assembly Opera House, General William Booth spoke to a crowd of 500 “Salvationists,” who heard his first speech on this nationwide tour. The General spoke of “doing the most good” for people in need and offering the message of God’s healing.

In 1865 General William Booth had founded the Christian-based, Salvation Army in London, England. This humanitarian organization has spread across the world and now serves over 130 countries.

World War I

The railroads had made an impact in defending our nation beginning with WWI, 1914-1918. The rail system had swiftly transported men and equipment. A few officials had ridden the rails to Jackson as well. Newton Baker, the U.S. Secretary of War, had stopped in Jackson on his journey to Camp Custer in Battle Creek. As the end of WWI had been celebrated, French General Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Allied Commander, had been cheered by 12,000 Jackson residents.

But my favorite WWI remembrance, connected to the Jackson Depot, had been the touching story that Carl Braun, a Jackson resident, had penned in his journal as he had been shipped to France.

Carl Braun – WWI Soldier

Carl Braun had written in his diary about his train journey from Fort Custer, Michigan to New York. He had reported that as the locomotive had slowed as it rolled passed the “Jackson Depot” his fiancé, Letha, had been waiting. He stood “on the car steps” and caught a “box lunch” which she’d tossed in a timely fashion. Carl had written that he’d reflected on this moment many times as he fought in France. Her thoughtful food had given him hope. When WWI had ended Braun had returned home by train to Jackson, Michigan where he and Letha had built a life together.

World War II

Between 1941-1945. ninety percent of the military supplies and ninety-seven percent of personnel had been transported by the network of rail lines across the country. “Destination Fighting Front – Keep ‘Em Rolling” had been the slogan during this vital mission. The rail lines had been vital to the war effort.

Presidential Visits in Jackson, Michigan

On June 4, 1910 President William H. Taft had arrived in Jackson by train to celebrate the founding of the Republican Party. He had been met and escorted by local, L.H. Field, founder of Field’s Department Store. The duo had led a parade through downtown Jackson, then speeches were held at the corner of Second and Franklin Streets in the “Under the Oaks Park.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, had felt “the warmth of the response in Jackson . . . which led Eisenhower to talk longer than he was scheduled . . . ” according to a local newspaper.

President Richard M. Nixon had made a brief train tour through Michigan with a stop in Jackson on October 27, 1960. A crowd of 16,000 had come to see the national leader.

Pondering

Looking back into history through the framework of the Jackson Depot, so many pivotal moments have passed over these rails. Trains have been vital to our country’s connections and economy. Even though we’re politically polarized once again, I hold hope for our nation’s future. I believe learning from our ancestors, we can move forward. The Jackson Depot has been witness to community members who have focused on caring for others. Rousing speeches have taken place here. Our nation continues to experience varying views, but when we respect and care for our people around us, our country comes together.

Related Links:

Near Jackson is a Rathskeller and cement bridges at McCourtie Park. Here’s our article.

Here’s our McCourtie Park YouTube video.

Restless Viking merchandise is available!

Resources:

The Jackson Depot
Jackson County, Michigan Historical Society
“It’s Role in the Underground Railroad Could Earn Jackson Depot NationalHistorical Recognition”
February 23, 2021 MLive article
150 year-old Jackson Train Station MLive article May 2023
Michigan Railroads website