Rock Rapids, Iowa — In the early days of the 1900s, Rock Rapids had three railroads, and each had its own depot. But now, what had been the newest depot is soon going to meet the wrecking ball.
The railroads all stopped service to Rock Rapids, starting in the 1930s and ending in the 1970s.
The most famous depot in Rock Rapids is the one that houses the Depot Museum, near Island Park. That two-story wooden building used to be the Rock Island Depot. The brick building that used to house the Omaha depot (also known as the Bonnie Doon) was sold and remains in place as a private storage building. But the Illinois Central Depot was sold to the City of Rock Rapids and the town’s Municipal Utilities Department has used it for storage for several decades.
However, although it is a historic landmark, it has now outlasted its usefulness, according to Rock Rapids Utilities General Manager Jim Hoye.
The original Illinois Central Depot was a wooden structure, but the railroad tore it down and replaced it with the current brick structure in the 1940s.
Hoye says they’ve been trying for ten years to get someone to take it off their property and do something else with it. He says they’ve approached several different organizations including the Lyon County Historical Society, who owns the Depot Museum, but even though the utility department was giving it away for free, the cost of moving the brick building and lack of a place to put it have been the main issues.
We asked Hoye if someone heard this broadcast and was interested in saving the depot — if it’s now too late. He says as long as it’s still standing, it’s not too late. But . . .
Hoye says the building needs to move or be demolished because they need to expand their warehouse, and the only direction that is available is to the north, which is where the depot sits.
For more information, you can contact Hoye at 712-472-2511.
More pictures of the depot building:
