Description: Currently restored to its condition of 1860, the Huntsville Depot shows how this area was impacted by the trains that passed through it. In the 1820s when the depot was built, Huntsville was still a frontier community. When the train company decided to build a line to go from Memphis, on the Mississippi River, to the east coast, the people of Huntsville got together and built this depot.
During the Civil War, when Huntsville was taken by Union soldiers, the depot was used as a prison for the Confederate soldiers that were captured. After those soldiers were sent to prison camps, the depot was used to house the Union soldiers stationed to hold Huntsville for the north.
You begin the tour with a short film that gives a little insight into the history of Huntsville. It tells about the building of the depot and how Huntsville progressed afterwards.
Next you will meet Andy Barker, a robotic ticket agent, and his friends; the telegraph operator and the conductor. This is a little quirky for adults, but I'm certain it helps hold the attention of children, as it provides information on the time period and how people led their daily lives.
A tour of the first and second floors takes you through the various rooms of the museum, which are filled with exhibits from the time period, and a model of the town as it looked in 1860.
The real treat for historians is the third floor, where you can explore on your own. The walls here have been stripped of all the paper and paint that had covered them through the years, and now appear as they did in the Civil War. You can see graffiti left from soldiers on both sides of the war; when the Confederate soldiers were housed here as a prison, and when the Union soldiers used this as their base during their occupation of the town. This gives this the best glimpse into what the soldiers thought throughout the time here.
Outside the museum on the grounds, there are a couple of trains, including one that runs around the little track on the property. You can enter any of the cars to see how each one had a different purpose.
I recommend this attraction for everyone, especially those interested in history, the Civil War, railroads and trains, and families with children. This attraction is educational, historically significant, and interesting for those not easily occupied.
Website: www.earlyworks.com
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