03/27/2026
"Iowa Almanac" for March 27 has a feature on the Depot. We have copied it below. There is also an audio; scroll down to March 27 if it's not at the top of the list:
https://soundcloud.com/iowa-almanac
(Thanks to Dave Grogan for calling this to our attention.)
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"The Historic Depot"
The importance of the American railroad system on the development of this country in the last half of the 1800s cannot be overstated. Cities that found themselves home to a railroad depot grew tremendously, while other cities sprouted simply because of a track running by that patch of ground.
The train stations themselves were not only functional, but often showplaces for visitors. And as competition for rail lines grew, so did the competition to build bigger and better rail depots.
In the early days of rail transportation, Keokuk had depot facilities, but one source called them deplorable. Five railroads joined together to form the Keokuk Union Depot Company; they were the Keokuk & Western; the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern; the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; the Toledo, Peoria & Western; and the Wabash Railroad.
They hired a well known Chicago architect, John Wellborn Root, to design a new depot. The late Victorian style, Romanesque Revival brick structure with sandstone trim was one of the last buildings Root designed before his death. It was built between 1890 and 1891. It features an asymmetrical elevation including a peaked roof in the middle, round-arched window and door openings, and a limestone foundation. A distinctive steel, curved-roof canopy ran the length of the depot on the east side, providing shelter for passengers and freight. The interior boasted solid oak trusses and a built-in ticket booth and restrooms.
Passenger rail service ended at the depot in 1967, after which it was used by the railroads as a headquarters for agents and operators. In 2011, the then-owner conveyed the depot and adjacent land to the City of Keokuk for 99 years. The city then formed the Depot Commission to preserve and oversee the facility. A non-profit group, the Keokuk Union Depot Foundation, was established to raise needed funds.
The Keokuk Union Depot was an example of the fast-expanding American railroad system, allowing cities to gain maximum transportation and commerce opportunities. And the depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on this date in 2013.
And that's Iowa Almanac for March 27th
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