St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad Depot - Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

""The depot was constructed by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad in 1910 to replace an earlier depot at the same location. The depot served the community with passenger and freight service well into the mid-20th century. The depot's appearance is similar to standardized plans of the period and it retains much of its Bungalow/Craftsman influenced detailing; it is one of two railroad depots remaining in Poplar Bluff. The exterior of the depot has not been extensively altered and it retains much of its original character. The associated Iron Mountain Staircase is a large, cast concrete structure which was designed to connect the depot with Main Street, Unking the commercial area of the town with the railroad. This structure also retains integrity and its original design.

The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad was the first railroad completed through Poplar Bluff. Built in 1872, this line connected the city with Little Rock, Arkansas and Cairo, Illinois. 1 The railroad had a major impact on the growth and development of Poplar Bluff by connecting the region to major markets throughout the country. Butler County and adjacent counties retained extensive forests and the railroad provided ready transportation for the shipping of raw lumber and lumber products. Due to its rail connections, Poplar Bluff became a center for wood related products during the late 19th century and its population grew from a few hundred residents in 1870 to over 4,000 in 1900.

Rail transportation provided access for businesses and farmers to transport their goods to available markets. The clearing of timber and major drainage projects opened up thousands of acres for farmland during these years. Crops such as wheat, cotton, and corn were also brought to Poplar Bluff for rail shipment. Various manufacturing firms sprang up near the railroad lines and commercial development greatly expanded in the community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Poplar Bluff was a major stop for salesmen and other travelers and many hotels were built adjacent to the railroad depots.

The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad built a frame depot at Poplar Bluff in 1872. This depot was replaced in the 1890s, which in turn burned shortly after its construction. The company utilized old boxcars for baggage and express facilities and operated ticket sales out of the Crown Hotel until 1909 when plans were made to construct a new brick depot. A total of $50,000 was needed for the project, most of which was raised through railroad bond sales. Upon completion in 1910, the depot was designed to serve both passengers and freight. The center section of the building was two stories high, containing a waiting room, ticket offices and restrooms. The building was constructed as a division office for the railroad and dispatchers, telegraph operators and division offices were located on the second floor. A lunch room operated out of the southern one-story section of the building, serving passengers, train crews and local citizens.

Standardized plans for depot buildings were utilized by railroad companies across the country. Standardized plans and consistent architectural details created corporate symbols easily recognizable to the traveling public. Many of these standardized plans included wide canopies or eaves to protect passengers from bad weather and the hot sun. Two-story sections for depots were generally used as division offices and a study of railroad buildings in 1893 stated that the "upper floors of a terminal passenger depot are usually utilized to a more or less extent for offices for officials and clerks connected with the railroad..." The construction of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad depot was consistent with the standardized railroad plans of the period.

The 1910 depot was constructed of red pressed brick to the bottom of the first floor window sills and with gray brick above. Window sills and caps were white limestone and the entire building was surrounded by a wide canopy. The original roof was built with red clay tile. The waiting room and bathroom floors were tiled while the baggage and express floors were concrete. The basement of the depot housed telegraph batteries, heating facilities and a coal bin. Because the depot was set below street level, an elaborate cast concrete staircase was constructed from the depot to Main Street at a cost of $3,000. The staircase had wrought iron columns with electric lights and a wrought iron picket fence. Steps were concrete with cast Grecian urn balusters capped by a fluted concrete cap rail which held an iron hand railing.

The depot was the center for much of Poplar Bluffs passenger and freight traffic of the early 20th century. Several hotels were operated adjacent to the depot on Main Street during these years and the Iron Mountain Staircase provided access from the depot. In 1917 the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. In 1986, the Missouri Pacific Railroad was renamed the Union Pacific Railroad and the building is presently referred to as the Union Pacific Depot. Today, the depot is still in use as a freight station and crew changing point. Very few alterations have been made to the exterior of the building since its original construction in 1910. The Iron Mountain Staircase also remains intact despite some deterioration of the concrete." - National Register Nomination

The station is currently used as an Amtrak station on the Texas Eagle route.

The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad; MoPac, Union Pacific, Amtrak Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link] If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: Not listed

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