The
Plainfield depot was originally built some time between the purchase of the land
on January 15, 1886 and when the first train arrived in Plainfield on August 15,
1886 by the Joliet, Aurora & Northern Railway. The depot served both freight
and passengers as the JA&N, which eventually was absorbed into 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 location on the east side of Plainfield near where
Center and Evans Streets meet along the south side of the EJ&E tracks in 1999. Today,
the depot is located just west of the DuPage River on Lockport Street at Van Dyke
Road along the Canadian National's former 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. The
Plainfield Historical Society has the depot open from 1 to 3 PM every Saturday. For
a more complete history of the depot, provided by the Plainfield Historical
Society, please click
here.
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