Amboy Illinois Central Depot
Encyclopedia
The Amboy Illinois Central Depot is a former rail station in the city of Amboy
, Lee County, Illinois
, United States. The building was constructed as a headquarters
building for the Illinois Central Railroad
as well as a public train station for the fledgling city of Amboy in 1876. It was designed by railroad staff architect James Nocquet after a fire destroyed the original Illinois Central offices on the site. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1992.
The rectangular, Italianate building operated as Illinois Central Railroad's Northern Division headquarters until 1894. After 1894 the rail line through Amboy was downgraded in importance by the railroad and the division headquarters moved elsewhere. Today the depot is operated as a public museum
. The museum grounds include the depot, which houses artifacts and exhibits and several outbuildings. Also on the property is a steam locomotive
which, in 1976, was the last steam engine in the United States to be commissioned for regular freight service. The locomotive was obtained from the now defunct Northwestern Steel and Wire
company and is maintained as a static display.
for the Illinois Central Railroad
. When the Illinois Central was authorized by a Stephen A. Douglas
sponsored act of Congress on September 20, 1854 it was to be the largest railroad company on earth. The act authorized a mainline from Dunleith (later East Dubuque
) to Cairo
and branch lines from Centralia
to Chicago. Based upon the length of the divisions, Illinois Central's division headquarters was to be built in Lee County.
The railroad purchased land in the present-day city of Amboy and set up division headquarters operations as well as shop and maintenance operations. The city of Amboy was founded around Illinois Central's activity in the area. Over the next twenty years operations for the railroad's northern division were still led from the original division headquarters even as railroad activity continued to increase. The original building was enlarged in 1863, though accounts still portrayed the structure as too small for the needs of the railroad at the time. On November 15, 1875 the division headquarters building and the adjacent hotel/depot were destroyed by fire
.
After the fire the railroad decided to raze the remains of the old structure and construct a new combined depot
and division headquarters, leaving hotel functions to other private entrepreneurs. The burned out site was cleared and in 1876 the current Amboy Illinois Central Depot was built. Railroad management was carried out by designating divisions which had autonomous control over hundreds of miles of track, the building in Amboy was one such division headquarters. By the time the Amboy Illinois Central Depot was completed in 1876 the entire 345 miles (555.2 km) stretch of track from Centralia to East Dubuque was consolidated within the Illinois Central Northern Division, operated out of the Amboy building. The Amboy division headquarters had authority of 53 individual train stations.
Operations at the Amboy headquarters and depot continued in this manner until 1894. That year, Illinois Central completed an assessment of the effects of the completion of a new east-west rail line from Iowa
to Chicago. Completion of the east-west line had shifted rail traffic from the north-south route through Amboy. The result was fewer scheduled passenger trains and less cargo rolling through Amboy and the railroad decided to downgrade the section of track from Freeport
to Centralia (including Amboy) to a sub-division. The headquarters in Amboy were closed and the locomotive repair and maintenance facilities were mostly abandoned and relocated to Freeport, Illinois and Clinton, Illinois
.
After the division headquarter moved the depot still carried out railroad functions, the building still served as a crew change location as well as the depot for the village of Amboy. The second floor was mostly abandoned after 1894 while the first floor handled the bulk of the day to day operations. As cars and buses became more popular Amboy's need for rail service could be served by the station in Dixon
; passenger service to Amboy was discontinued in 1939 and the depot underwent an extensive remodeling. Operations were once again moved about the building. The northwest half of the first floor was transformed into a storage area and the second floor renovated into apartments for the station agent and employees of the nearby Green River Ordnance Plant
. The station remained the transfer point for all ammunition made at the hastily constructed ammunition plant throughout World War II
and the Korean War
.
The mid-1980s brought the end of the Amboy Illinois Central Depot's days as an active rail building. On June 10, 1984 the Illinois Commerce Commission
authorized the Illinois Central Railroad to decommission the rail line through Amboy. The railroad announced it intended to demolish the old station. The building, which is owned by a committee from the Village of Amboy, was saved by a citizens group and converted into a museum.
depot. The building was designed to be a spacious and modern division headquarters while doubling as a depot for the citizens of Amboy; the southeastern half of the first floor was designed for such use. The depot section consists of waiting rooms and ticketing counters typical of their era while the headquarters portion of the building is well illuminated through ample fenestration.
The rectangular shaped building measures 32 feet (9.8 m) by 88 feet (26.8 m) and its exterior architecture demonstrates its importance to the Illinois Central Railroad. Constructed of red brick
with extensive limestone
detailing, the depot's size, height, and ornate brick/stone detailing combine to give it an imposing and elegant character.
The Amboy Depot Museum has operated on the site since 2003. The museum
encompasses much of the former rail yard
that Illinois Central maintained at Amboy's Northern Division Headquarters for its Cairo to East Dubuque line. When the line was completed in 1855 it was the longest rail line in the world. The museum consists of three buildings with the Amboy Illinois Central Depot being its primary structure. Inside are exhibits and artifacts relating to the history of Amboy and Illinois Central Railroad. Palmer School is a restored one-room schoolhouse that was relocated to museum property during the 1990s from its original location west of Amboy. The other structure is the Amboy Illinois Central Freight House which was relocated to museum property in 2003 to prevent its planned demolition.
Amboy Illinois Central Depot has a static steam locomotive
display on its property, the locomotive sits on unconnected railroad tracks adjacent the Depot. The locomotive is an 0-8-0 steam engine built in 1929 by Baldwin Locomotive Works
as a switcher
bearing the number 8376. It was originally operated by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad
. Switcher #8376 (8376) was retired from service near Detroit, Michigan
in 1958 and sold as scrap. The now-defunct Northwestern Steel and Wire
company, in Sterling, Illinois
, ended up with 8376 and other steam locomotives, and instead of melting them down the company renovated them. The company then used them to replace their aging internal locomotives, used within the steel mill
grounds. Thus, 8376 was brought out of storage and recommissioned in 1976 as NS&W #76. When it was christened, NS&W #76 (76) was the last steam locomotive engine to be commissioned for regular freight service in the United States. 76 operated in daily service until the mill owner's death in 1980, it was retired shortly after and obtained by the Amboy Depot Commission.
The Amboy Illinois Central Depot is a locally significant structure because of its affiliation with the Illinois Central Railroad
. Most of the building's architectural elements, interior and exterior, have maintained their integrity and are well preserved. Because of its association with the Illinois Central Railroad as its Northern Division headquarters the Amboy Illinois Central Depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on August 18, 1992.
Amboy, Illinois
Amboy is a city in Lee County, Illinois, along the Green River. The population was 2,561 at the 2000 census. The chain of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. began in Amboy when Samuel Carson opened his first dry goods store there in 1854...
, Lee County, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States. The building was constructed as a headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
building for the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
as well as a public train station for the fledgling city of Amboy in 1876. It was designed by railroad staff architect James Nocquet after a fire destroyed the original Illinois Central offices on the site. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992.
The rectangular, Italianate building operated as Illinois Central Railroad's Northern Division headquarters until 1894. After 1894 the rail line through Amboy was downgraded in importance by the railroad and the division headquarters moved elsewhere. Today the depot is operated as a public museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The museum grounds include the depot, which houses artifacts and exhibits and several outbuildings. Also on the property is a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
which, in 1976, was the last steam engine in the United States to be commissioned for regular freight service. The locomotive was obtained from the now defunct Northwestern Steel and Wire
Northwestern Steel and Wire
Northwestern Steel and Wire was a steel mill and wire factory located in Sterling, Illinois. It began producing steel in 1936 and ceased production in 2001.-Early history:...
company and is maintained as a static display.
History
The Amboy Illinois Central Depot was constructed in 1876 within the right-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
for the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
. When the Illinois Central was authorized by a Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
sponsored act of Congress on September 20, 1854 it was to be the largest railroad company on earth. The act authorized a mainline from Dunleith (later East Dubuque
East Dubuque, Illinois
East Dubuque is a city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,704 at the 2010 census, down from 1,995 at the 2000 census. East Dubuque is located alongside the Mississippi River. Across the river is the city of Dubuque, Iowa. About three miles north of the city is the...
) to Cairo
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
and branch lines from Centralia
Centralia, Illinois
Centralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
to Chicago. Based upon the length of the divisions, Illinois Central's division headquarters was to be built in Lee County.
Structure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
.
After the fire the railroad decided to raze the remains of the old structure and construct a new combined depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
and division headquarters, leaving hotel functions to other private entrepreneurs. The burned out site was cleared and in 1876 the current Amboy Illinois Central Depot was built. Railroad management was carried out by designating divisions which had autonomous control over hundreds of miles of track, the building in Amboy was one such division headquarters. By the time the Amboy Illinois Central Depot was completed in 1876 the entire 345 miles (555.2 km) stretch of track from Centralia to East Dubuque was consolidated within the Illinois Central Northern Division, operated out of the Amboy building. The Amboy division headquarters had authority of 53 individual train stations.
Operations at the Amboy headquarters and depot continued in this manner until 1894. That year, Illinois Central completed an assessment of the effects of the completion of a new east-west rail line from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
to Chicago. Completion of the east-west line had shifted rail traffic from the north-south route through Amboy. The result was fewer scheduled passenger trains and less cargo rolling through Amboy and the railroad decided to downgrade the section of track from Freeport
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
to Centralia (including Amboy) to a sub-division. The headquarters in Amboy were closed and the locomotive repair and maintenance facilities were mostly abandoned and relocated to Freeport, Illinois and Clinton, Illinois
Clinton, Illinois
Clinton is the largest city in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,225 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County.The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, 1817-1823...
.
After the division headquarter moved the depot still carried out railroad functions, the building still served as a crew change location as well as the depot for the village of Amboy. The second floor was mostly abandoned after 1894 while the first floor handled the bulk of the day to day operations. As cars and buses became more popular Amboy's need for rail service could be served by the station in Dixon
Dixon, Illinois
Dixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 at the 2000 census. Named for its founder, John Dixon , it is the county seat of Lee County. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S...
; passenger service to Amboy was discontinued in 1939 and the depot underwent an extensive remodeling. Operations were once again moved about the building. The northwest half of the first floor was transformed into a storage area and the second floor renovated into apartments for the station agent and employees of the nearby Green River Ordnance Plant
Green River Ordnance Plant
The Green River Ordnance Plant, also known as the Green River Arsenal, was a large munitions factory complex between Dixon and Amboy in Lee County, Illinois.It was rapidly constructed in 1942 and just as quickly shut down in 1945...
. The station remained the transfer point for all ammunition made at the hastily constructed ammunition plant throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
The mid-1980s brought the end of the Amboy Illinois Central Depot's days as an active rail building. On June 10, 1984 the Illinois Commerce Commission
Illinois Commerce Commission
The Illinois Commerce Commission is a quasi-judicial tribunal which regulates public utility services in the U.S. state of Illinois. The mission of the ICC is "to pursue an appropriate balance between the interest of consumers and existing and emerging service providers to ensure the provision of...
authorized the Illinois Central Railroad to decommission the rail line through Amboy. The railroad announced it intended to demolish the old station. The building, which is owned by a committee from the Village of Amboy, was saved by a citizens group and converted into a museum.
Architecture
The Amboy Illinois Central Depot was designed by railroad staff architect James Nocquet in the Italianate style of architecture. Before Nocquet was employed by Illinois Central he worked in a Chicago architectural firm, Meriam and Nocquet. In 1871 he took his position with the railroad and remained in their employ through the 1870s, including during the time he designed the AmboyAmboy, Illinois
Amboy is a city in Lee County, Illinois, along the Green River. The population was 2,561 at the 2000 census. The chain of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. began in Amboy when Samuel Carson opened his first dry goods store there in 1854...
depot. The building was designed to be a spacious and modern division headquarters while doubling as a depot for the citizens of Amboy; the southeastern half of the first floor was designed for such use. The depot section consists of waiting rooms and ticketing counters typical of their era while the headquarters portion of the building is well illuminated through ample fenestration.
The rectangular shaped building measures 32 feet (9.8 m) by 88 feet (26.8 m) and its exterior architecture demonstrates its importance to the Illinois Central Railroad. Constructed of red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
with extensive limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
detailing, the depot's size, height, and ornate brick/stone detailing combine to give it an imposing and elegant character.
Amboy Depot Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
encompasses much of the former rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
that Illinois Central maintained at Amboy's Northern Division Headquarters for its Cairo to East Dubuque line. When the line was completed in 1855 it was the longest rail line in the world. The museum consists of three buildings with the Amboy Illinois Central Depot being its primary structure. Inside are exhibits and artifacts relating to the history of Amboy and Illinois Central Railroad. Palmer School is a restored one-room schoolhouse that was relocated to museum property during the 1990s from its original location west of Amboy. The other structure is the Amboy Illinois Central Freight House which was relocated to museum property in 2003 to prevent its planned demolition.
Amboy Illinois Central Depot has a static steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
display on its property, the locomotive sits on unconnected railroad tracks adjacent the Depot. The locomotive is an 0-8-0 steam engine built in 1929 by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
as a switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
bearing the number 8376. It was originally operated by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad
Grand Trunk Western Railroad
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway , constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division ....
. Switcher #8376 (8376) was retired from service near Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1958 and sold as scrap. The now-defunct Northwestern Steel and Wire
Northwestern Steel and Wire
Northwestern Steel and Wire was a steel mill and wire factory located in Sterling, Illinois. It began producing steel in 1936 and ceased production in 2001.-Early history:...
company, in Sterling, Illinois
Sterling, Illinois
Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,370 at the 2010 census, down from 15,451 at the 2000 census. Formerly nicknamed "The Hardware Capital of the World", Sterling has long been associated with manufacturing and the steel...
, ended up with 8376 and other steam locomotives, and instead of melting them down the company renovated them. The company then used them to replace their aging internal locomotives, used within the steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
grounds. Thus, 8376 was brought out of storage and recommissioned in 1976 as NS&W #76. When it was christened, NS&W #76 (76) was the last steam locomotive engine to be commissioned for regular freight service in the United States. 76 operated in daily service until the mill owner's death in 1980, it was retired shortly after and obtained by the Amboy Depot Commission.
Significance
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
. Most of the building's architectural elements, interior and exterior, have maintained their integrity and are well preserved. Because of its association with the Illinois Central Railroad as its Northern Division headquarters the Amboy Illinois Central Depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 18, 1992.