Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot
National Register of Historic Places

Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot

Elizabeth, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Listed
February 16, 1996
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
96000098

About this property

The Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot is a historic railway station in the village of Elizabeth, Illinois, U.S. It was built in 1877–78 and like many rural stations along the Chicago Great Western Railroad it was cast in Stick style. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The Elizabeth, Illinois Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot was built in 1877–78 by the Minnesota Northwestern Railway Company. In January 1892, A.B. Stickney's Chicago Great Western Railroad company bought the Minnesota Northwestern company. The design of the depot in Elizabeth is similar to the design of many of the rural stations built during the 1880s and 1890s along the Chicago Great Western Railroad. Many of these stations, including the Elizabeth depot, were small rectangular, side-gabled buildings built in Stick style. Through the years, some of the depot's original architectural details were lost. Located in a mixed commercial district, the area that was once the station's stockyard is now a lumber company, but the "Commercial Hotel", an 1889 hotel that served railroad patrons, across the street still stands. Today the restored depot building is operated by the Elizabeth Historical Society as the Chicago Great Western Railway Depot Museum. Exhibits include a film, railroad artifacts, and working N-scale, HO-scale, and G-scale model railroad layouts. The museum is open seasonally on weekends. The arrival of the depot in Elizabeth coincided with a record growth spurt between 1880 and 1900. The population of Elizabeth rose from 507 to 659 during those two decades and by the 1910s unofficial numbers estimated the population at close to 1,000. The station and the railroad industry in Elizabeth heralded a new era in the village. On February 16, 1996, the Chicago Great Western Railroad Station in Elizabeth, Illinois was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Property Information Report: Chicago Great Western Depot, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Location

Elizabeth, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
42.31714, -90.22269

Categories

TRANSPORTATION
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot

This page lists Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
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
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bishop’s Busy Big Store-Lyric Opera House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Apple River Fort Site
Early Republic
0.4 mi
Townsend House
Industrial
9.6 mi
White, W.E., Building
Industrial
11.3 mi
Scales Mound Historic District
Pre Contact
11.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Apple River Fort – Northwest Illinois
1150Pre-Columbian
5.2 mi
Battle of Apple River Fort (Black Hawk War 1832)
1832Early Republic
5.7 mi
Apple River Fort Second Attack (June 24, 1832)
1832Early Republic
6 mi
Apple River Fort Skirmish (June 1832)
1832Early Republic
8 mi
Apple River Fort Attack
1832Early Republic
8.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot listed on the National Register?

Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996.

What type of historic resource is Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot?

Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot?

The period of significance for Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1877.

Can I research the history near Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Jo Daviess County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Jo Daviess County.

Explore Jo DaviessCounty ›

More historic places in Illinois

Browse all historic places in Illinois.

View Illinoishistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Illinois history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Illinoishistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report