The Standish Historical Depot Welcome Center

The Standish Historical Depot Welcome Center Welcome to the Standish Historical Depot and Welcome Center's official page! Mr. Founder John D. to construct a railroad line north through Standish. L.

The Village of Standish was without a railroad until the early part of 1871 and was a product of the construction of the railroad line between West Bay City and Mackinaw. Construction of the line began in May of 1870 by the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad, which had already completed a line from Jackson Michigan, north through Lansing, Owosso and Saginaw to west Bay City in 1867. Hugh MacDonal

d of Standish and his team graded the first railroad grades through this area. Standish permitted a right-of-way to the Jackson, Lansing, and Saginaw Railroad Co. In September of 1871 the line was built through Standish, and only went as far north as Wells Station, just south of Alger. It is known that the first train depot was built in 1871 or 1872 on the south side of W. Cedar Street on the east side of the railroad tracks. The original depot was most likely, a wooden white pine structure, built in connection with the new railroad that had been authorized and laid. By 1885 railroad business was growing dramatically, eight passenger trains ran through Standish daily. The wooden structure lasted until the late part of 1887 when deterioration became a problem. In 1887 the Michigan Central Railroad informed the local residents of Standish that they would provide the Stone Masons to build a new depot, if local farmers would haul in their large field stones for the exterior building material and foundation. The grounds for the new depot were cleared and graded by the Standish Business Men's Association. The Bay City Times circa 1888 expressed the opinion “the station “when finished” will be the finest depot on the line between Bay City and Mackinaw.” In 1889 the Standish Train Depot was completed through the efforts of C. Judd of Saginaw, the Standish Bank, Stone masons (provided by the MCRR), and area farmers who had donated the stones, the stone building was constructed to be an outstanding depot in the north. The railroad and depot was an essential part of the expansion of Standish, it gave way to rural and urban community development. The line was completed to Mackinaw City at the Straits of Mackinac several years later and became the Michigan Centrals Mackinaw Division. The last steam engine passenger coach to pull into the MC Standish Depot was on October 28, 1955. The automobile began to take over and in 1965 the railroad had discontinued all passenger service. Glen Gray was the station agent in Standish from 1942 through 1947, as part of his duties he was required by the government to deliver telegram messages to the families of service men who died serving the country during World War II. Mike Kiley was the traveling freight agent at the Standish Depot from the early 1940's to 1965 or 1966 when he retired. He used the telegraph to communicate with the trains using Morse code. Mike was the last person to work at the depot before it closed in the mid 1960's.

05/31/2026

Copied with permission:
☀️🏖️ The countdown is over… tourism season has officially arrived in Au Gres and Arenac county! 🌊🍦🌲
The “quiet season” is fading fast as our local businesses dust off the welcome mats, stock the shelves, scoop the ice cream, fire up the grills, and gear up for another unforgettable Northern Michigan summer. ❤️
Soon our little corner of paradise will once again be filled with:
🚗 Weekend warriors escaping city life
☀️ Snowbirds returning home for the summer
🏕️ Families making annual traditions
📸 First-time visitors wondering how they never discovered this magical place before
And honestly… can you blame them? 😊
There’s just something special about life here:
🌅 Captivating sunrises over Lake Huron
🌇 Sunsets that make you stop mid-sentence
👣 Sugar sand beaches between your toes
🎣 Early morning fishing trips
🚶‍♂️ Walks along the pier, boardwalk, amazing hiking trails and kayaking
🍔 Dinner at your favorite local spot
🍦 Ice cream after a beach day because calories don’t count in vacation towns 😉
The funny thing is… the things tourists travel hundreds of miles to experience are the very moments we sometimes forget are part of our everyday life here. 💙
So as summer kicks off, slow down a little. Smile at the visitors taking photos of “our normal.” Be patient with the traffic. Wave at the families crossing to the beach with floaties, coolers, and enough sand toys to build a second pier. 😂
Take time to enjoy this incredible place we call home — because there truly is nowhere quite like Au Gres and Arenac county in the summertime. 🌊🌲☀️
Here’s to beach days, bonfires, boat rides, bike rides, ice cream drips on your shirt, barefoot kids, freighters on the horizon, and memories made one fabulous day at a time. ❤️
Welcome back, summer… we’ve missed you. ☀️

Thanks so Much. Keep Watching - the Project isn't yet complete!
05/31/2026

Thanks so Much. Keep Watching - the Project isn't yet complete!

05/30/2026

Thank you to all who came to help beautify the Depot today. Just a notation - the average age was 70.3 years. We are desperately in need of some younger people who care about preserving history.

05/25/2026
A nice warm cup of Lazy Lazagna Chili on a chilly January night!
01/20/2026

A nice warm cup of Lazy Lazagna Chili on a chilly January night!

Address

107 N Main Street
Standish, MI
48658

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(989) 718-3021

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