By Mandy McFarland Enquirer Coordinator
BREMEN — When Historic Bremen, Inc. formed back in 2002 with a vision to restore the old train depot on North Center Street, they probably never dreamed of all they would have to go through to see that dream come true.
Seven years and a seemingly endless stack of paperwork later, the first stage of that dream has finally become a reality as the depot settles into its new location next to the Welcome Gazebo east of town.

The move began Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 a.m. when workers began removing the north crossing arm and the power lines along the depot's planned route.
Members of Historic Bremen, Inc. had attempted to move the structure at least twice before, and always met with inclement weather. However, with sunny skies and warm temperatures, it looked like Thursday would at last be the day.
It took nine hydraulic lifts, each with eight super-thick tires to hold the 30-ton depot up. Three front-end loaders, one pulling and two pushing, had to keep the depot from rolling away uncontrolled.
Crowds lined the tracks on either side of the depot and up and down Center Street to watch the long-awaited event. For some, like George Engelhardt, the depot holds special meaning. Engelhardt, who grew up in Chicago, used to ride the train every weekend with his mother to visit his grandparents in Bremen. That was around 1933 or 1934. Now, he and his wife, Shirley, live on a farm outside of Wyatt, and made the special trip into Bremen just to witness the event.
Despite the workers' efficiency, trains continued to move through the area until around 11 a.m., when CSX officials finally halted their traffic. Even then, progress was slow, and it was nearly an hour before the depot made it to the north side of the tracks.
Another issue arose when the depot arrived at the lot at the corner of Center Street and Second Street. Those planning the move had determined that because the corner was too narrow, workers would have to pull the depot across the lot. However, recent rains had dampened the ground, and the tires continually sank into the damp earth. With that, workers decided to call it a day.
Early the next morning, however, they were back at it, and by late Friday afternoon the depot was in place.
The process
While moving day was complicated enough, making the preparations was just as arduous. Arrangements needed to be made between Historic Bremen, Inc., INDOT, NIPSCO and CSX, to name a few. Before that, Historic Bremen, Inc. spent years organizing the project, going over all of the legal aspects, filing paperwork, applying for grants, organizing fundraisers, the list goes on. They even had to change plans mid-project with the installation of the crossing arms at Center Street.
"When we wrote the grant, the gates were not here," Historic Bremen, Inc. Treasurer RT Henke said.
The future
In the next few months, work will begin on the building’s exterior. This will include restoration to the building, as well as landscaping. Later, a second phase will include renovations to the inside and ultimately, formation of a Bremen railroad history museum, featuring artifacts from Bremen's days as a stop on the B&O (Baltimore & Ohio, now CSX) Railroad. However, this stage could be a year or more down the road.
About Historic Bremen, Inc.
The 1920s-era train depot closed in the 1980s. Since then, it has sat next to the tracks, empty and nearly forgotten, since the dozens of freight trains that whizz by every day have no use for it. Historic Bremen, Inc. formed in 2002 out of a concern for the history that was slowly being lost as the building sat uncared-for year after year. The idea would be to turn it into a history of Bremen museum and visitors' center. The call soon went out for donations of Bremen memorabilia.
Originally, the group believed it would take only a few years to get the project off the ground. However, when they learned of the potential liabilities involved in opening a museum next to a very busy railroad track, they realized they would have to get the depot itself off the ground ... and moved to a new location.
This delayed the project and brought on a long checklist of fundraising events like the annual Depotpalooza, among others. An 80/20 grant, where 80 percent of the funds were granted to the group and they had to raise the other 20, made the costly move possible.
While the depot will not open to the public for a while, Bremen residents can drive by and see the restoration progress.
Fundraising
This year's Depotpalooza fundraiser concert will take place Aug. 22 at Shadyside Park and will feature a variety of musicians, yet to be announced, from throughout the area.
For a $100 gift, donors can also receive a brick engraved with a message of their choosing, 15 characters or fewer (including spaces), to go in the walkway in front of the depot. These and any donations can be made to Historic Bremen, Inc. P.O. Box 471 Bremen, IN 46506.
Donors and anyone seeking further information on the depot restoration project or about Historic Bremen, Inc. can call 546-4340.