In the year 1841, the mid-Michigan line of the Michigan Central Railroad first set up track in Jackson County, Michigan. The Michigan Central interchanged with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, which came up north from the south. Since the two interchanged, they built a small depot in the city of Jackson. Over time, more railroads spread their wings of steel rail over Jackson and soon traffic wa
s too much for the little depot to handle. After the civil war, there was a population boom. The railroads were filled with great volumes of traffic. In Jackson during 1870, over 72,400 people had walked through the doors of the little depot. Population increased, and the railroads provided work. The Michigan Central had just completed building their shops about two miles down track from the depot where locomotives were being rebuilt and constructed there. The railroad had decided to make Jackson their home, with four major passenger lines stopping there: Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad, Grand River Valley (later the MC Grand Rapids branch) Railroad, Fort Wayne Railroad, Jackson and Saginaw Railroad, and the Michigan Air Line. With that, the railroad consulted their Chief Master Builder, Henry A. Gardner, to help create an elegant station on a grand scale. In 1872 construction started. The station would be designed in a Victorian-Italianate style, and was dubbed by local papers as being, “The finest station ever to be built.” It was not only built for elegance, but to be durable. It was constructed using the strongest and finest materials; using heart pine, ash, oak, and walnut wood, among the strongest in Michigan. A large walnut arch separated the ticket booth and newsstand from the women’s and men’s waiting rooms. Huge, elegant, and bright crystal chandeliers overhung on the stations ceiling. It also had a telegraph office, a fine restaurant, and even restrooms, which was quite advanced for the time. The walls were constructed with a special type of plaster, which was mixed with horse hairs for extra strength. The limestone used on the outside was a durable type, mixed with other strong hard bonding materials. The mortar is actually a limestone cement base as well. The station was truly built to last. On September 1st, 1873, the Jackson Union Station opened it’s doors, and has been in continuous service since, making it the oldest station still in service today by Amtrak. In 1877, the New York Central acquired the Michigan Central, using the station as a popular stop for their train, the Wolverine. Throughout the station’s many years of active service, several U.S. Presidents have visited the station including Howard Taft in 1910, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1950, John F. Kennedy in 1960, and Richard M Nixon, also in 1960. It is truly a national treasure, but unfortunately, little is known about the station by the public. In the station’s 137 year history, it has undergone several restorations. In 1928 the New York Central Railroad renovated it, replacing the oak floor with the marble floor you see today. They also added wooden benches, which are also still there today. They chose to paint over the interior wood with a shade of dark green, which later, was removed from another restoration in 1978. In that same year, during the restoration, three railroad workers were shot and killed by Rudy Bladel, who blamed the employees for taking railroad work from Indiana. Currently, the station is under yet another extensive restoration in hopes of returning it to it’s former glory. The old REA building located next to the station, constructed in 1909, will be the new home of the Jackson Transit Bus Authority’s head office, with the addition of a bus housing facility connected to the REA building. The station will once again be fully open to the public after the restoration is complete. There is currently a large mural which seperates the other areas of the station from the public, which will soon be removed so the areas of the the building may be re-opened for development. The station will certainly become a true intermodel facility. A steam locomotive, Pacific Class 4-6-2 #5030 of the Grand Trunk and Western Railroad, will be moved to a park planned for display next to the station. The park will parallel the station’s platform where the locomotive may be viewed by the public. Union Station helped identify Jackson’s history as a rail hub, but also as a standing monument to all railroads in America. Today it is known as America’s oldest continuously operational station, being in service for over 137 years. It will continue to be home to more rail service on Amtrak’s line for many generations to come. It is truly, a national treasure.
