Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House
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Roadside view of the water tower
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | SW of jct. of I.C.& C. and E.I. R.Rs., Kinmundy, Illinois |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1885 |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001355 |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1998 |
The Illinois Central Railroad Water Tower and Pump House are two important old buildings in Kinmundy, Illinois. They used to help the Illinois Central Railroad by providing water for their steam trains.
History of the Railroad Water Tower
The Illinois Central Railroad built its first train line through Kinmundy in 1856. Back then, steam trains needed a lot of water to run. They could only carry a small amount of water at a time. This meant trains had to stop often to refill their water tanks.
The railroad usually got water from nearby towns. But these water sources were not always reliable. So, the Illinois Central Railroad decided to create its own water supplies in many places. Kinmundy was one of these important spots.
In Kinmundy, the railroad built a large 28 acres (11 ha) reservoir, which is like a big lake for storing water. The water tower and pump house were built in 1885. The pump house would pull water from this lake, and the water tower would store it high up. This way, trains could easily get the water they needed.
Similar water towers were placed about every 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) along the train lines. These towers were used for many years, until the 1950s. That's when the Illinois Central Railroad stopped using steam trains and switched to newer types of engines that didn't need water. In 1951, the city of Kinmundy bought the water tower and pump house to use for the town's own water supply.
Why These Buildings Are Special
The water tower in Kinmundy is very special because it is one of only two wooden water towers left along the old Illinois Central lines in Illinois. Most of the train stations in Kinmundy have been torn down. This means the water tower and pump house are the only buildings left that show how the Illinois Central Railroad served the town.
Because they are so important to history, these buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. This is a list of places in the United States that are considered important to American history. The water tower and pump house are one of two places in Kinmundy on this list, the other being the Calendar Rohrbough House.
