PHOTO FROM PA RR STATIONS, PAST AND PRESENT
The Little Station with a Big History!
The historic Girard Train Station has been a fixture of the community of Lake City for over 100 years.
BY PAMELA PALONGUE
Most people under the age of 30 might recognize the Girard Train Station as All Aboard Dinor.
The local eatery serves up delicious comfort food like chili and roast beef dinners, with items on the menu from decades past, such as applesauce and cottage cheese. But long before it became a local gathering spot, the train station was the scene of important arrivals and departures— including a U. S. President. The charming depot commenced operations in 1852 as a stop for the Lake Shore Railroad and was known as Girard Station. The area was named Milesgrove after a prominent local citizen. But the name was later changed to North Girard and eventually to Lake City Borough in 1925. However, the name of the depot, Girard Train Station, seemed to stick.
On Feb. 16, 1861, the station became a part of history when Abraham Lincoln stopped and gave a speech( the first of his stops in Erie County) just prior to his inauguration on March 4. The area, then known as Milesgrove, had a population of about 400. It’ s not surprising our 16th president decided to address the people here, since he was known for his own rural upbringing and his gift for plain talk.
The station continued to serve the area with passenger trains and then freight trains until 1960. In 1987, Jim Meeder bought the station and restored the exterior of the building to its current appearance.
In 1993, Rebecca Angerer purchased the building and did extensive restorations to the interior, as it morphed into the All Aboard Dinor. In 2000, Angerer’ s son Glen Shinko and his wife, Lisa, purchased the restaurant. Their son Nathan runs the diner today.
There are plenty of reminders that it was once a transportation hub, including a toy train that travels on a track around the interior of the restaurant, high above diners’ heads. Stop by the diner for an imaginary trip back in time, or just for a great lunch or early dinner. n
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