Until
the development of the modern Interstate Highway System and modern commercial
aircraft, the railroad depot was the gateway to the local community for both goods
and people. As time went on, the railroads no longer had need for these buildings
and many became neglected and were demolished.
Fortunately,
some communities realized the historical importance of their railroad stations
and took the steps to save and restore these icons. The Blackhawk Chapter
is been involved in many of these projects:
Lockport, Illinois
On
Saturday, September 18, 2010, the Blackhawk Chapter will be noting the
historical status of our hometown station with a formal ceremony recognizing the
station's 150th anniversary. Built
for the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis (forerunner of the Chicago &
Alton, and later the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio,) the depot has served Lockport continuously
for a century and a half. |  |
| A
key stop on Metra's Heritage
Corridor, the commuter rail operator will be expanding the parking
lot and platforms in 2010 while leaving the historical station in place. Thanks
to the efforts of Blackhawk Chapter president
Bill Molony, the Lockport
station will not only be recognized as a historical railroad landmark, but also
an example of the railroad's continued importance to this community. |
Symerton,
IllinoisThe
1881 Wabash depot from Symerton, Illinois
(on the line from Chicago to Decatur) was moved board-by-board by the
Will
County Historical Society to a site in downtown Lockport to be part of
their frontier village. The
classic wood structure represents a typical 19th-century small town railroad depot.
The Symerton depot contains many original items from this era, including telegraph
hardware, office equipment and original Wabash Railroad paperwork. |  |
| The
Blackhawk Chapter has given generous financial support for repairs to this
depot and it has been the site of
Bill Molony's continuing performance as a 19th-century station agent. The
Blackhawk Chapter also continues to pursue funds to fully restore the station's
interior.
In 2009, the Will County Historical Society's frontier village had to leave their
site in downtown Lockport and is currently searching for a new location. Keep
watching this website for the latest news on the Symerton depot and how the Blackhawk
Chapter will be involved in its continued preservation. |
Wilmington,
Illinois The
Blackhawk Chapter has encouraged community support and done a personal inspections
of this former Chicago & Alton depot.
The station's owner, Union Pacific, had been insisting that the building be removed
from their property. The Wilmington depot is an all-brick building with load-bearing
exterior walls; the cost of moving it off-site would be excessive. | 
|
After years
of stalled negotiations, the Union Pacific, the City of Wilmington and the Wilmington
Depot Association now has an agreement in place that will allow them to proceed
with the restoration of the depot. UP has given up on its demand to move the building
and has agreed to lease the property it occupies to them at a very reasonable
annual rent. As reported
in the Morris Daily Herald and the Joliet Herald-News, this would not have been
possible without the ongoing efforts of Teresa Zielinski of Wilmington
and some assistance from Will County Executive Larry Walsh. The
Save-the-Depot group in Wilmington will be resuming publicity and fundraising
for the restoration. Their top priority is to get the roof repaired and watertight.
Second is the tuck-pointing of the exterior walls. To
help preserve the depot, contributions can be sent to The Wilmington Depot
Association, P.O. Box 406,
Wilmington, IL, 60481. The
Blackhawk Chapter looks forward to supporting them on this project.
| | Plainfield,
Illinois
Erected in 1885,
the depot served both freight and passengers. The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern
operated scheduled passenger service between Joliet and Aurora, including Plainfield,
from 1886 until 1907. The “J” allowed passengers
to travel in the caboose on freight trains into the 20th century. The depot was
in daily operation with a freight agent until 1978. | 
|
| In
1996, the railroad donated the depot to the Plainfield Historical Society and
it was moved from its original Center Street location on EJ&E's mainline in
1999. Today, the depot
is located just west of the DuPage River on Lockport Street at Van Dyke Road along
the EJ&E's River Line that runs from Plainfield to Minooka. |
Numerous
individuals, businesses and corporations donated time, materials and money toward
the restoration and preservation of the depot building and the landscaping of
grounds. The restored depot opened to the public on September 6, 2003. On
Saturday August 5, 2006, the Blackhawk Chapter, along with the Plainfield Historical
Society, sponsored an open house the Plainfield depot, giving railfans and area
residents the opportunity see this well-done restoration up close. In the summer
of 2009, an EJ&E boxcar and caboose joined the display.
Wakarusa,
Indiana Located
along the now-abandoned former Wabash line across Northern Indiana, the Blackhawk
Chapter supplied original plans and consulted on the restoration
of the Wabash depot, including the total reconstruction of the once-demolished
baggage section of the building. |  |
 | Beecher,
Illinois The
Blackhawk Chapter provided financial support and consultation on the restoration
of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois depot. The village took their depot
back years after it had been dragged to a private winery in nearby Monee. |
Also
on display at Beecher, next to the depot, is former
Missouri Pacific caboose
#13649.  On
the first Saturday in August, the Blackhawk Chapter hosts a free open house at
the Beecher depot in conjunction with the Beecher Historical Society, whose museum
is now located in the depot.
Check our Schedule for the date of the next
open house. |  |
 | Morris,
Illinois The
Blackhawk Chapter was consulted
on the restoration of the Rock Island depot, now
home to the Morris Chamber of Commerce. Blackhawk
Chapter president Bill Molony has written an article on the history of
the Morris depot for an issue of “The Rocket,” the official magazine
of the Rock Island Technical Society. |
Other
Depots Other
notable depot projects the Blackhawk Chapter has been involved in: - The
Blackhawk Chapter was consulted on a proposal for a historical recreation (replacing
the heavily-modified original) of a Pennsylvania Railroad depot to be used
as a station on the bike trail through Lansing, Illinois on the former
PRR “Panhandle Line” right-of way.
- The
Blackhawk Chapter campaigned for the granting of landmark status of the Wabash
depot from North Ritchie, Illinois, which was granted by the Will County
Historic Preservation Commission.
-
The Blackhawk Chapter is currently
encouraging community support for restoration of the recently relocated former
Chicago & Alton depot in Braidwood, Illinois and the former
Rock Island depot in Seneca, Illinois.
If
you are interested in helping with any of these projects,
or know of a depot
that needs to be saved,
come join
the Blackhawk Chapter today!
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