Comments for Railroad Crossing (RR XING)

Comment on Hotel Pathfinder through my grandparents’ camera lens – 36 years ago by Chad Kluck

Chad Kluck — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:46:07 +0000

Will, thanks for the correction. I was trying to judge by the smoke and ornamentation around the windows. I thought it was the row of buildings south of the Opera House but wasn’t sure. I’m glad you were able to help out with the location.

It’s a scary feeling knowing you were one of the last people to occupy a space before a tragedy struck. I appreciate your comment. Take care.

Comment on Hotel Pathfinder through my grandparents’ camera lens – 36 years ago by Will Stanley

Will Stanley — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:33:50 +0000

Hi, the picture you have labelled as windows blown out of building (5th and Broad?) was actually the old Field(?) Department Store at 6th and Broad, across from the Pathfinder. At the time of the explosion, the building was housing the Air Force and Navy Recruiters in the front (facing 6th Street) and the Army Recruiter was around on the Broad St side.

I was 18 at the time of the explosion and remember it vividly to this day. I was actually in Brown Drug, where the explosion came up through, the day before the explosion.

Comment on Expect live tweets as I tour my boyhood town by Yvonne Fritz

Yvonne Fritz — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:22:39 +0000

I also lived in Fremont for the most of my married life, till 3 years after my husband passing.
Fremont is where I first met my husband, as me, a friend & my cousins was sitting outside on my Uncles car as my Aunt & Uncle was sitting in a local tavern.
We got married in Fremont Courthouse, Dec 5,1966, and shortly afterwards moved there.
I used to shop at the clothing store it was called Mode a Day. It was on Main street. I bought my first dress there for my first date with my soon to been husband back then, ( of course at that time I didnt know he was going to be my husband lol)
After we was married & moved to Fremont, I liked going to shop at Woolworths downtown. They served food there, which was awesome, and alot of good buys.
Also down furthur on Main st was a cafe called back then The Chuck Wagon. That was where we spent our first date.
On friday nights, I remember we go to Irvs Market that was right by the overpass, they served the best deep fried carp & fish, yummu potato salad, rye bread & pickle. Yum!!! You dont get that here in Oklahome which I had moved to 3 yrs after my husband had gotten hit by a drunk driver & killed instantly.
Then Zestos ice cream on Military st, we lived down the steet from them, when our oldest daughter was about 1 years old, we walk down there to get a icecream cone sprinkled with crunchies, yummm…
On the weekends, we drive out to Fremont Lakes, and play in the water on those hot summer days,
My oldest daughter went to middle school there which was hwy#77 back then, cant remember what the st was called now.
They had just put the overhead walk to cross over the road so kids didnt have to cross the busy street. It kept them dry and warmer thru the weather days.
I moved away from Fremont close to 30 years ago, altho I still have 2 cousins that live back there. I sometimes really miss it, as alot of good memories there, with family and the friends we had there, which now some has either passed away or moved also. There is still some friends there, but I have lost contact with ove rthe years.

So now when I want to see Fremont I go to Google site to their maps and imageing I can see and go down some of the streets where I used to live or places we would go to.
I miss the old Safeway grocery store and the Fremont Mall. There used to be a drugstore in the Mall back in the 1970′s just cant recollect the name of it now.
Alot of good memories, except one, thats the memory that the night my husband got killed walking along the highway 30 Oct 23rd. 1977. That nite my world ended as he died.

Comment on 35 years ago today: Hotel Pathfinder explosion by Yvonne Fritz

Yvonne Fritz — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:49:47 +0000

I worked at the Pathfinder Hotel in Fremont Ne at the time of the explosion of Jan 10 1976.
I was a waitress in the cafe they had there. My sister in law also worked there as a waitress & cook.
The morning before the sxplosion when I enter the kitchen to pick up my food orders, to carry out to the customers, I noticed a gas smell in the kitchen. i mentioned it to my sister in law and she said she smelled it to, that it must been coming from the stove.
i dont know if she told the owner anything or not tho.
That night after work, I had a headache and felt nausated. I was scheduled to go in the next morning at i think 6:00 am, or when it opened, it was years ago so cant say exact time, just remember it was at opening shift to be there.

When I woke the next morning, I still had thta headache and was very nauasated, i knew i couldnt make it to work without getting even more sick to my tummy from the ordor of the food smell cooking. So I called in and told them that I wasnt able to make it in.
I went back to bed to be awken by a loud noise, it was so loud that it shook my windows and i felt as the bed shook too. I jumped out of be dthinking there must been a bad car wreck. I looked outside, and seen alot of smoke in the air to the south of me.
my husband had came home from work, I was upstairs, I heard him yelling my name, he sounded shook, so i hurried downstairs, he said he was so relived to see that i was okay, I said why, whats wrong? Then he told me about the hotel exploding as he thought something happened to me,as eh k new i was suppose to work that morning. He said he stopped there told them that his wife worked in the cafe, was i in there, they told them they didnt know, but there was people still trapped in the building. He came home figured he call to get information, and seen i was at home and was so relieved.
Our Lord was watching over me that morning. We both thanked God that I was okay.
Found out next day the reason for me being nausated was due to I was pregant with our son,, which we didnt know till then.
God kept both me and our unborn son safe from any harm that day. So miracles do happen.
That was a horrible day in Fremont Ne, my heart goes out to all the people who lost a loved one that January 10, 1976.
Thats a day that I will never forget, and I am thankful to still be here all these years after that horrible & tragic morning.

Comment on Following Minnesota Commercial from White Bear Lake to Hugo by Chad Kluck

Chad Kluck — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:03:28 +0000

Thanks!

Comment on Following Minnesota Commercial from White Bear Lake to Hugo by John Edge

John Edge — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:15:46 +0000

Hi Chad,
Lovely videos and an interesting little story there.
I really like the MNNR but can only experience it from sites like yours as I’m based in the UK!
So, many thanks indeed for sharing.
All the best,
John E.

Comment on St. Paul and Duluth Skally Line by Chad Kluck

Chad Kluck — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:36:56 +0000

Here is a link to GenDisasters with two transcribed articles.

http://www3.gendisasters.com/minnesota/16835/duluth-junction-mn-train-wreck-jun-1892

One says north of Duluth Jct, the other says south of Duluth Jct. Summit is east, and since one train was bound to Stillwater, and the other leaving, I would have to say north and south are incorrect.

Comment on St. Paul and Duluth Skally Line by Chad Kluck

Chad Kluck — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:06:13 +0000

Pat, I’m happy to help and would love to elaborate if you have more information about the accident, or can direct me in the location of your sources about the accident. I think it warrants me finding out more about it and posting the info on the accident and a little more history about the Stillwater Branch of the NP’s Skally, on which Duluth Jct and Summit was located.

Here’s what I have: I referenced “SPV’s Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America: Dakota & Minnesota.” On page 23 I found Duluth Junction (which I drive past on my way to the doctor’s office–with a 4 yr old we go there often). It listed Summit siding to the east about in the middle of a dip south the track makes. I then started a Google map of Summit Siding plotting some locations. Finally, I referenced a USGS map of Stillwater (go to usgs.gov, Imagery and Maps, and find the free downloadable topo 7.5 minute map for Stillwater (45092-A7-TF-024) – sorry, I couldn’t get a direct link to work). I should have started here first because the high resolution map had the name of the siding, as well as the siding itself plotted. So, for an idea, refer to the Google map, and if you want the exact location I recommend downloading the USGS map.

The USGS maps are pretty cool because there is even a browser/PDF plugin called GeoPDF which allows you to click on a point in the PDF map and go directly to Google maps, no guesswork involved!

At the USGS site you’ll also be able to download a map showing the old roadbed of the NP branch from Rush City to Grantsburg. You should be able to plot the line right through the bedroom!

Again, thanks for the lead and the story, if you have more to add either reply to this comment, or send me a direct message through the contact form. It was fun researching and plotting the map! I hope to do more!

Comment on St. Paul and Duluth Skally Line by Pat Pepin

Pat Pepin — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:30:42 +0000

Was wondering where Summit Switch,2 miles north of Duluth Junction would have been?
There was a bad accident there in 1892 that I am investigating.My husband relayed a story to me that I found very interesting.He was staying in a house at Grantsberg Wisc. when he was 5 or 6,and saw a caboose in his room with a man waving a lantern.He got scared and woke his parents who saw nothing.In the morning it was mentioned the house was built on an old railroad bed.He does not remember the people or where the house was.His grandparents originally came from the Rush City,Pine City area.I thought it was fascinating,and have been doing some research.I found out about the Blueberry Special,and am trying to find out if any of his family rode that.I know they often travelled to the Twin Cities,now I know how they did it so easily.Trying to find out if any family members had ties to the railroad.

Comment on Naming of the Skally Line by Karl A.

Karl A. — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:11:56 +0000

I’ll help you out here, the Skally Line comes from the local geography. It is short for St.Croix Valley “Skally”. The St. Croix River is a large portion of the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota.