Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee facts for kids

The Illinois Central Railroad Yard, also known as Cherokee Illinois Central Station, is a special historic place in Cherokee, Iowa. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, which means it's recognized as an important historical site across the country.

Cherokee was a very important center for the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). It was like a main office for their train lines in western Iowa. This area had many buildings from different times when the railroad was growing, like from the 1860s to 1870s, and again from 1886 to 1888. The train roundhouse was also made bigger in 1915.

This railroad yard was one of the last ones left in Iowa from before trains started using diesel engines. When it was first listed, it had 17 important parts. This included seven buildings and one structure that helped tell its history. Most of these buildings are gone now, replaced by a farm business. But the old train station and the American Express building are still there.

Quick facts for kids
Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Roughly bounded by S. 4th, 5th, W. Maple, and W. Beech Sts. Cherokee, Iowa
Area	Approximately 19 acres (7.7 ha)
Architect	Illinois Central Railroad
MPS	Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.	90001308
Added to NRHP	September 6, 1990

The Old Train Station

The old train station is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick. It sits on a strong limestone foundation and has a sloped, pyramid-shaped roof called a hipped roof. The architects who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad designed this building.

Inside, on the first floor, there were two waiting rooms. One was for men and the other was for women. The second floor held the offices for the IC's main division in the area. The outside of the building was changed a bit in the 1940s. The cover over the old train platform was rebuilt to look like the original one.

The American Express Building

Next to the old train station is the American Express building. This is a one-story building also made of brick. It has a foundation made of concrete and limestone, and it also has a hipped roof. This building was changed in 1922. Both of these historic buildings are located right next to each other along South Fourth Street.