The Lincoln Depot: the last of its kind in northeast Michigan

The white clapboard building on Lake Street began as the West Harrisville Depot. The Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad built it in 1886; the Detroit and Mackinac Railroad took it over in 1895 and renovated it in 1913. The depot served Lincoln and the surrounding area until 1929.

What makes it worth a stop now is what it survived. Both the village and the Alcona Historical Society describe it as the last remaining depot of its kind in northeastern Michigan. It became a private home around 1930. Citizens saved it from demolition in 1997, and the state recognized it as a Michigan Historic Site in December 1998.

The Lincoln Downtown Development Authority now owns the building, and the Friends of Lincoln Depot became affiliated with the Alcona Historical Society in 1999. The village lists it as the Railway Museum Depot, with seasonal visiting hours. It is the sort of building many towns lost: a station that outlasted the railroad service it was built to support.