Rock Island Depot (Enid, Oklahoma) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Enid
Former Rock Island Line passenger station
The depot, seen here on February 17, 2018
Location	109 East Owen K. Garriott Road, Enid, Oklahoma 73701
Platforms	1
History
Opened	1889
Rebuilt	1903 1928
Services
Preceding station   Rock Island Line   Following station Kremlin toward Minneapolis Minneapolis – Houston Waukomis toward Dallas and Houston Lahoma toward Geary Geary – Enid Terminus
Rock Island Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Oklahoma Show map of Oklahoma Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	109 Owen K. Garriott Road, Enid, Oklahoma
Built	1928
Architectural style	Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	79003639
Added to NRHP	1979

The Rock Island Depot is an old train station located in Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma. It is a very important historical building. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

History of the Enid Train Station

The Rock Island Railway built train tracks through what was then Oklahoma Territory. This happened before the big Land Run of 1893. The very first station, called Skeleton Station, was built in 1889.

Later that same year, a man named M.A. Low visited the station. He decided to rename the area Enid. When the government moved the main town site, this original area became known as North Enid.

During the Land Run, the Rock Island trains brought many settlers into the Cherokee Outlet. The trains would only stop at this first station. The Rock Island company refused to stop at the new town site. This led to a disagreement called the Enid–Pond Creek Railroad War, which lasted for a whole year.

A new depot was built in 1903 to replace the first one. The building you see today was constructed in 1928.

What the Rock Island Depot Looks Like

The building is about 195 feet (59 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. It has a unique look, mixing styles from Spanish and Italian buildings. The bottom part of the outside walls is made of brick. The upper part is covered with stucco, which is a type of plaster.

The stucco is painted white and has tan trim as decoration. The middle part of the building has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. On each end of this section, there are rounded walls that rise above the roof. The large window in the center is shaped like an arch. Other windows also have an arch design built into the stucco.

The depot is a single-story building. It has eight large rooms that were used for handling luggage, selling tickets, and as waiting areas for passengers. There was also a covered walkway. Seven smaller rooms were used for restrooms and storage. Because of the laws at the time, there were separate facilities for different groups of people.

Today, the railroad no longer uses the station. For a time in 2011, it was used as a farmer's market on Saturdays.

Images for kids

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  Rock Island Train depot is seen across the street in Enid, Oklahoma