Nate Heffron, city manager, city of Negaunee

NEGAUNEE — All aboard! It’s a familiar phrase that we hear shouted in movies of today and yesterday. The call inspired rail passengers from a bygone era to board train cars sitting on the steel tracks near a train station or depot for far off locations.

In Negaunee, trains were part of the landscape, part of life. They were primarily used to transport precious iron ore mined from the highlands of Marquette County to the ore docks on the shores of Lake Superior where ships eagerly awaited to haul their cargo to far off destinations.

One origin of such journeys was Union Station, as it was known in the early 1900s. We now know it as the Union Station Depot today. The Union Station Depot was built in 1910 and provided service to the Duluth South Shore and Atlantic Railroad and the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, until 1965, according to Michiganrialroads.com.

The building was purchased by Jim and Ann Kantola around 2001. They began restoring and preserving the building which had fallen into disrepair after being shuttered for nearly four decades. Four years of work paid off with the eventual completion of the project in 2006.

Reopened as a short-term rental and event space, the Union Station Depot now boasts sleeping areas for up to 10 persons, a sauna, master bedroom with master bath, two additional bathrooms, full kitchen, a large dining area, a spacious living room, and additional sleeping areas found within the living room in creative, but comfortable nooks.

The Kantolas decided to sell this property and placed it on the market in 2018. Local residents Liisa Petersen and Bill Anderson Jr. looked into purchasing the property because they wanted to make an investment In Negaunee.

“I am from the U.P. and I am a Negaunee native, I love Negaunee. Both Bill and I were looking for something that could help provide a service to Negaunee, we are excited to start this journey,” Petersen said.

Petersen and Anderson say they will continue to operate the Union Station Depot as a short-term rental through Airbnb. They plan make some investments into the building with upgrades to some furniture, increasing energy efficiency, improvements to the basement area for storage, and increased curb appeal with enhanced outdoor seating and an outdoor cooking area. They hope in the coming years to add more sleeping areas. “We hope to start these projects this spring. We have several rentals already scheduled through the previous owners and want everyone to know we will be honoring those,” Petersen said.

Updates will also be made to website, with enhanced online booking. (unionstationdepot.com). Visitors can take an online virtual tour of the facility, as well as, look through an array of local tourist spots and events.

For the more adventurous outdoors individuals, you can bring your bike and jump onto the 48-mile Iron Ore Heritage Trail conveniently located a stone’s throw away, literally.

The new owners close on this deal in January and will become the latest investors in downtown Negaunee.

“I hope that more people will be attracted to Negaunee. I would like to see more restaurants, unique shops and businesses that will attract people. Negaunee is a great place to live and visit,” Petersen said.

Her wish may come true, more and more and businesses have been attracted to our downtown. For those looking for a new home to start a business, listen carefully. All aboard! Next stop, Negaunee!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Nate Heffron is city manager of the city of Negaunee.