Depots Of Poweshiek County

 Barnes City Depot  

When the first railroad was built through Barnes City, they built a platform in the front yard of William Barnes, and called it Barnes Station. The depot stood alone near the new railroad track that ultimately would define its future. In 1881, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad built a track linking the towns of Montezuma in Poweshiek  County and Thornburg in Keokuk County.  Barnes Station was midway in between, and the people near Barnes Station used the new form of transportation as their means of traveling shipping. The station's expansion and growth was inevitable since the railroad acted as a link to the rest of the county. It is not known when the depot was closed and the train passed through Barnes City. 

BROOKLYN DEPOT 

The importance of the railroad to the Brooklyn community cannot be overstated. The railway depot was a center of activity for decades, as

countless freight and passenger trains stopped there. Many railroad crewmen's families moved to town with the railroad, and numerous railroad crewmen met and married young local women.  The railroad brought social and cultural changes. Groups were taking trips to Chicago to see the sights. Over 200 citizens went by train to attend the Malcom fair in 1895.  That same year over 150 tickets were sold to         Brooklyn residents going to the Iowa State Fair. William Manatt was credited with inducing train officials to build the railroad through Brooklyn. He made generous overtures to the company, offering land and depot space. In a

contract, he agreed to erect the depot, platforms, stockyards and other buildings. The roundhouse was built in 1870. The 1880 History of Poweshiek County reports that the railroad company had a freight house, a roundhouse with 13 stalls for engines and sleeping apartment with over 20 cots for engineers and firemen, a turntable for switching engines, a small repair shop and five side tracks. In 1901 the Rock Island built a new 13-stall roundhouse along the railway tracks and Brooklyn was designated as a “permanent freight division station.” The peak years of the railroad were 1911-1912, when 38 freight trains stopped daily at the Brooklyn terminal to change crews and switch engines. There were seven daily passenger trains. A busy day at the depot in 1913 saw 10 carloads of livestock and two cars of grain shipped out. Beginning in 1915, the Rock Island gradually abandoned use of the Brooklyn roundhouse and in 1923 the terminal was moved to Marengo. All was abandoned in 1952. The local water tanks and remaining remnants of the roundhouse were destroyed.

Carnforth, Iowa, Depot

Carnforth lived and died by the railroad. In 1862  the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built an east-west line through Poweshiek County alongside

what is now Old Highway 6.  In 1884 the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad built a north-south line from Belle Plaine to the coal mines in southern Iowa. These railroads crossed tracks about halfway between Brooklyn and Victor. The two railroads opened a ticket office at the crossing for passengers to board the trains. The ticket office attracted enough interest that an application for a town plat near the office was submitted. It was platt

with lots and streets, and Carnforth was

born. In 1886 the railroads expanded their ticket office and erected a depot. Later that year a stockyard was built, and the town began to grow as railroad workers began to call Carnforth their home. The town grew, comprised of a  post office, general store, grocery, hardware and a school. Many of the workers who supported the town were affiliated  with the coal trains. The use of oil began to take the place of coal and gradually the C & N Railroad began to make fewer trips to the coal mines. As the trains left, so did  the workers.By 1957 the coal trains, as well as the tracks, had vanished, leaving only the east-west tracks as a lifeline. Businesses were abandoned, and by the 1930's the depot was torn down along with most of the houses. The Rock Island Line continued to run trains through Carnforth until the late 1970's, when it went bankrupt. Today, Carnforth is known for it's sole business, a restaurant called Carnforth Inn.

Deep River, Iowa, Depot 

With the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1884, Deep River came to life. Many of the residents and businesses of Dresden moved to the Deep River location, leaving Dresden a ghost town. Deep River grew rapidly, new businesses being built one after another. Manufactured goods from the east were brought to the town, improving their lifestyle. Livestock and grain were shipped to eastern markets from here. Travel was made easier with the coming of the passenger trains. For many years, a great deal of coal was carried through Deep River from the coal mines in southern Iowa. With the coming of the automobile and better roads, passengers became fewer and fewer until July 1925 the last passenger train passed through town. With paved highways and more and bigger trucks, railroads began losing money and discontinued freight service. It is not known the exact date the depot was built, but we must assume it was built shortly after the train became coming through and Deep River was incorporated into a town.  It is known that the last train left Deep River on July 14, 1958. The rails and all of the solid ties were removed by a salvage crew in the early 1960's.    

Grinnell, Iowa Depot  

(Union Depot) 

The Union Depot was built in 1893 to succeed a small wooden depot which had served the community for 30 years. This early depot had been built in 1863, when the first train went through Grinnell. The new depot served the two rail lines, the Minneapolis and St.Louis running north and south, and the Iowa Central running east and west. The round tower on the southeast corner of the red brick depot gave a clear view of both lines to operate the telegraph and the semaphore signals to direct traffic on each. Both lines handled a great deal of freight. The freight and baggage room of the original station were on the west side of the building and the waiting room and ticket office on the east. Express was handled by the Railway Express Co. in the small red brick building across Park Street to the west.

During the 1990’s the depot was renovated and turned into a restaurant called Depot Crossing. Removal of baggage and freight areas and the waiting room and ticket office created the large upstairs dining room at the Depot Crossing. The area under this room was excavated to create a private dining room and storage. New wings designed to complement the original building were added to the north and to the west of the main building. The north wing housed an efficient, up-to-date stainless steel kitchen with the latest in restaurant cooking equipment, which conveniently served the upstairs dining room as well as the private rooms downstairs. The west wing, with its glass-enclosed walls giving a panoramic view of the city through Central Park, served as a lounge with a massive antique walnut Brunswick bar. Meals were also served here as an overflow from the dining room. At this time, the depot is home to the Peppertree Restaurant.

 GUERNSEY DEPOT

The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, crossing the east part of Poweshiek County, ran through Lincoln Township. Before the line was completed the Northwestern Company secured control, making it easy to reach the coal fields in the south part of the state. The road was surveyed in 1883 and built the next year. The What Cheer Coal Company was promoter of the railway and before a line was finally adopted, fourteen surveys were made to find a route. The route finally adopted had many grades and winds around the hills, and was so crooked and full of curves that it was designated by the trainmen as the “Pumpkin Vine.” 

Guernsey, along with Hartwick, Carnforth and Deep River sprang into existence because of the building of this line. The trains were used mainly for hauling coal from the coal fields in the vicinity of What Cheer north to Belle Plaine. 

The Pumpkin Vine was one of the busiest lines on the Chicago Northwestern for only going 70 miles. It carried coal and passengers plus everyday essentials such as newspapers baked goods, chicken feed, hogs, eggs, milk and more. In 1886 eighteen coal trains were running daily on the branch through Guernsey. 

The freight room for the C. & N.W. depot in Guernsey caught fire in May 1887 from the explosion of a lamp. It was extinguished before much damage was done. In the 1920’s and 30’s the railroad was finding other places to supply it with coal. There was talk about closing down the Guernsey Depot, but trains continued running through Guernsey on the “Pumpkin Vine” until 1958. At that time an end of an era took place that could never be matched. With the closing of the railroad, the towns along the route slowly stopped growing.