National Register of Historic Places

Iowa Falls Union Depot

Iowa Falls, Hardin County, Iowa
Listed
September 5, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
90001305

About this property

Iowa Falls Union Depot is a historic building located in Iowa Falls, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad, an affiliate of the Illinois Central Railroad (IC), laid the first rail track to Iowa Falls in 1866. The following year the Iowa Falls & Sioux City Railroad, another IC affiliate, continued construction of the line to the west, and it reached Sioux City by 1870. They built a plain, two-story frame depot to serve Iowa Falls. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) by way of its affiliate the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Falls & North Western, entered Iowa Falls in 1880. They built their own depot. It was basically another east–west route, but local business leaders desired a north–south route to serve the community. Iowa Falls businessman E.S. Ellsworth founded the Des Moines, Iowa Falls & Northern Railroad (DMIF&N) in 1899 with the intention of connecting Iowa Falls to Des Moines. They utilized the IC facilities in Iowa Falls for their local services. The IC decided to upgrade its facilities in 1902. The new depot was typical of the second generation IC depots in Iowa. It featured their standard floor plan, brick walls, a hipped roof, and simple interior finishings. It served as a union depot until 1908 when the DMIF&N was acquired by the St. Paul & Des Moines Railroad, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. They built their own bridge across the Iowa River, and their own frame depot southeast of the union depot in 1909. The union depot continued to serve the Illinois Central until it discontinued passenger service in Iowa Falls. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Location

Iowa Falls, Hardin County, Iowa
42.52123, -93.25635

Categories

ARCHITECTURETRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Nearby Historic Sites

Ellsworth-Jones Building
Industrial
0.4 mi
Iowa Falls Bridge
Industrial
0.4 mi
St. Matthew's by the Bridge Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
Mills Tower Historic District
Civil War
0.4 mi
Washington Avenue Commercial Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Iowa Falls Union Depot listed on the National Register?

Iowa Falls Union Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Iowa Falls Union Depot?

Iowa Falls Union Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Iowa Falls Union Depot?

The period of significance for Iowa Falls Union Depot is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Iowa Falls Union Depot?

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