Delmar station (Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Delmar
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| Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station | ||||||||||||||||
| Location | 100 Railroad Street, Delmar, Iowa 52037 | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1905 | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot - Delmar
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 Location in Iowa
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| Location | Main Street, between Railroad St and Clinton Ave., Delmar, Iowa | |||||||||||||||
| Area | less than one acre | |||||||||||||||
| Built | 1905 | |||||||||||||||
| MPS | Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS | |||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 97000308 | |||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | March 14, 1997 | |||||||||||||||
The Delmar station is an old train station in Delmar, Iowa, United States. It used to be a busy spot for the Milwaukee Road railway. Today, it is a special historical building. It is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is important to the history of the country.
Contents
History of Delmar Station
Building the First Station
The very first train station in Delmar was built in the 1870s. This was a time when railroads were growing fast. They connected towns and cities across the country.
The New Station in 1905
The station you see today was built in 1905. It was made for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. People often called this railway the Milwaukee Road. The building is a simple, rectangular shape. It has one story and is made of wood. This was a common design for train stations in small towns.
Inside, the station had different areas. There were two waiting rooms for passengers. One was for men and the other for women. This was a common practice back then. There was also a large room for freight. Freight means goods or cargo carried by train. In the middle was the station agent's office. The agent helped people with tickets and managed the trains.
How Railroads Shaped Delmar
Delmar exists because of the railroads. In the late 1870s, three different train lines met there. Because of this, the town was first called Delmar Junction. Over time, only the Milwaukee Road continued to operate there. This railway played a big part in how the town grew. The Delmar station was on the main line. This line connected big cities like Chicago and Omaha.
From Station to Museum
The Delmar station was used for trains until 1977. After that, it sat empty for a while. The City of Delmar later bought the building. The last freight train passed through in 1982.
In 1995, work began to fix up the old station. It was a big project to restore it. In 1997, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This recognized its importance.
Today, the old station is home to the Delmar Depot Museum. It has more than 1,500 historical items. These items tell the story of the town and the railroad. You can also see an old caboose outside. It is named "Elizabeth." There is also a mural on a nearby wall. This mural remembers the Orphan Train movement.
