Fowler Depot, Fowler, CO - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

This intro is long, because this isn't about logging waymarks anymore. It has ignited a passion for connecting to those who went before and learning how they lived. It's imagining people at work in the businesses surrounding the depots. It's discovering new things that are old. It's even leading to the overall history of Colorado.

Some days are just perfect. This was one of them. A 38 mile ride on my Yamaha Majesty 400 scooter. As I've been seeing more depots, I've learned the pattern of growth on the towns and where the depots are likely to be found. In this area, any town that has a grain elevator is likely to have a depot nearby. The depot will likely be across the tracks from a feed store, or the oldest storage building in the area. Then on the other side, the town grows. Old banks, hotels, general stores, bars, post office, etc. A person could spend a day logging waymarks within about 3 blocks of any small town depot in this area. Along the way, I discovered an old depot I haven't seen in any research just by looking at the scenery. I'll get that one another time.

There is likely a station every 20 miles along a line with a whistle stop halfway in between. Keeping my eyes open, I found a tiny whistle stop, but that's a waymark for another day. The air was cool and clear except for the prairie fire which was just getting started. I had to detour 30 miles to go around it on the way home.

If you go to visit this one, go between 11 and 4 on Wednesday through Saturday. There is a free museum across the street. In the museum there is tons of history on the area railroads. There is also a lot of history on a lot of other things in town. Plan to spend 2 or 3 hours just in the museum. Then come back another day to explore Fowler. More days for the surrounding area.

Well, on to the station. The history is on the gallery picture with the writing on it. You will have to click it and enlarge it to read the history. The first depot was completed in 1876. By 1913, a whole network of passenger and freight stops was completed. The rails provided a flow of goods into the towns and a flow out. Those that had a station thrived. Those that didn't stayed small. Then the roads came and this station closed to passenger lines in 1953. The town hubs moved away from the tracks and towards the road. In a way, this is good as it left a trail of history in its wake as the old buildings are largely preserved.

The main picture is picked to illustrate a point. If there is a street in town with a railroad name on it, look along that street for an undiscovered depot. Especially where it intersects roads like Railroad Ave, Main St, Broadway, 1st street, etc. If there is a grain elevator, there is almost certainly a depot there. Maybe disguised as a house, a restaurant, or a town hall. But they have a distinctive shape that reveals the reason for their construction whether they are wood or brick. Google maps is a great resource for hints on their locations.

The name of the rail line seems to be above the freight doors on all the stations. This one is A.T. & S.F.P.Y . It's Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. I can't find what the P.Y. is.

Inside is a mixture of authentic and storage. Some of the windows have been replaced. Eventually, it will likely be much like the Manzanola station, so don't miss it while it's still here. The bulb lights outside are fairly recent replicas. Look in the pictures for how it really was.

The gallery has some old photos from the museum. I didn't have time to get the story behind all of them. Another time, maybe.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No Is the station/depot open to the public?: No If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: The building is empty. What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]

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Please post an original picture of the station/depot taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this station/depot and any interesting information you learned about it while there.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/28/2022 wanderfish visited it