Waiting in St. Paul

March 4, 1930  At 8:05 we arrived in St. Paul.  There I met Mr. Nachtigal.  That made my layover in St. Paul seem shorter.  Left St. Paul at 5:15 in the evening and arrived at 7:30 a.m. in Kansas City.

 Cornelius slept on the train throughout the night and at 8:05 a.m. rolled into St. Paul, Minn.  Overnight he had traveled about 440 miles/710 km.  As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and strolled into the concourse, he would have found a bench to wait on.  His layover lasted until 5:15 p.m., so he had over seven hours.  But then he and another Mennonite man, a Mr. Nachtigal, spotted each other in the train station – Mennonites would have easily spotted each other by their appearance.  Cornelius never met a stranger, so this was a great opportunity for him.  He could talk Low German and pass some hours in pleasant company.  Probably they figured out how they were related.  He may even have told Mr. Nachtigal about the purpose of his trip.

At 5:15 p.m. he boarded a train to Kansas City and would have settled into his seat for another overnight trip.  At 7:30 a.m. he arrived in Kansas City, having traveled another 440 miles/710 km.  He must have had a long layover, probably all day, although he does not say what time he boarded his next train.

A Great Northern steam locomotive pulling into the St. Paul Union Depot in 1931.  Cornelius arrived at this depot on a Great Northern train in 1930.

Passengers walking on the platform in the St. Paul Union Depot in 1936.  Notice their small suitcases and relatively formal attire (at least for our times).  Cornelius would also have worn a jacket and tie and hat so that he would be properly dressed in public.

St. Paul Union Depot has recently been restored to its 1920s glory, including authentic colors.