The Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific RR built a beautiful Late Victorian depot in downtown Wichita KS in 1887. The historic 1910 postacrd photo credit belongs to the Kansas State Historical Society.
In 1928, the ticket offices and passenger services were moved to the Union Depot next door. In the intervening years,this depot has been many things -- incuding a soup kitchen for homeless people downtown.
In 1978 this historic depot was added to the US National Register of Historic Places. See the nomination form here: (
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From a paper on file at the Wichita Kansas State Libtary, a chronology of newsdpaper articles about this depot gives some insight into its relationship to the community and poreserves its history: (
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"Dr. Edward N. Tihen (1924-1991) was an avid reader and researcher of Wichita newspapers. His notes from Wichita newspapers -- the “Tihen Notes,” as we call them -- provide an excellent starting point for further research. They present brief synopses of newspaper articles, identify the newspaper -- Eagle, Beacon or Eagle-Beacon -- in which the stories first appeared, and give exact references to the pages on which the articles are found. Microfilmed copies of these newspapers
are available at the Wichita State University Libraries, the Wichita Public Library, or by interlibrary loan from the Kansas State Historical Society.
Subject(s): Rock Island Depot
WICHITA EAGLE Wednesday, March 23, 1887 page 4.
"The men working to secure the Rock Island depot on East Douglas yesterday subscribed the amount necessary, $35,000, to which the company added $20,000, making the total for purchase $55,000. The company has agreed to build a depot costing not less than $10,000. (note: the Article contains sarcastic comments about the poor
Santa Fe depot.)
WICHITA EAGLE Wednesday, November 9, 1887 page 5
Carpenters were yesterday finishing the interior of the Rock Island depot.
WICHITA EAGLE Friday, July 28, 1893 page 5
Changes have been made in the Rock Island depot. The partition which heretofore divided the gents' waiting room from the ladies' waiting room has been removed and the whole thing now belongs to the ladies, while the dining room on the south side of the entrance hall has been converted into a gents' waiting room.
WICHITA EAGLE Sunday, May 7, 1899 page 13
Article reports rumors of a possible Union depot somewhere on East Douglas avenue, probably between the present Rock Island and Santa Fe depots.
"At present the Santa Fe, Frisco, Wichita and Western, and Midland trains all arrive at one depot which is called the Union depot. The Rock Island is but a block away. There are 42 passenger trains arriving and departing from Wichita daily, mostly between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m."
WICHITA EAGLESaturday, December 1, 1900 page 8
Article says the new dining room installation work at the Rock Island depot began yesterday. Details. To be opened December 15.
WICHITA EAGLE Thursday, January 10, 1901 page 6
The new restaurant at the Rock Island depot will be opened next Monday.
WICHITA EAGLE Thursday, January 8, 1903 page 13
The dining room at the Rock Island depot will be closed after today. It has been running for two years but has not been a paying proposition since the train schedule has been changed and patronage has fallen off. In the room formerly used as a kitchen a lunch counter will be placed, where light lunches will be served. The dining room will be used as a waiting room, which is much needed as the present waiting room is entirely too small.
WICHITA EAGLE Sunday, October 16, 1904 page 6
Work started yesterday on remodeling of the Rock Island depot. Several partitions are to be taken out and the ticket office will be moved to where the hall way now is. The stairway will be turned lengthwise of the building and entrances made from both of the waiting rooms. The old dining room, which has been vacant for several years, will be added to the general meeting room, which will more than double the waiting room space. It is probable also that a heating plant will be added some time this fall.
WICHITA EAGLE Tuesday, May 2, 1911 page 6
Rock Island depot is being painted Irish green. The interior is being redecorated, with side walls painted green, the ceiling corn yellow, and the molding Indian red. The interior of the ticket office probably will be done in white enamel.
WICHITA EAGLE Sunday, January 21, 1912 page 1
The Lehmann-Higginson Wholesale Grocer company have purchased a building site 125 by 132 feet on the north side of 1st street between Mead and Rock Island for about $30,000, and will construct a new four story reinforced concrete building there to cost about $60-70,000. Work will be started within the next two weeks, with completion due by September 1. The company sold its old building on north side of William street between Santa Fe and Rock Island depots to the Wichita Union Terminal Railway company about a month ago and will open for business tomorrow at its temporary location in the old Hockaday Paint company building at 140-148 North Mosley. Razing of its old building will start February 5 so as to have the site cleared by March 15.
WICHITA EAGLE Friday, March 6, 1914, page 5
Articles report banquet, to be held at new union station this evening and dedication tomorrow afternoon. The Rock Island will run a special four car train Saturday afternoon every hour from the old Rock Island depot south of Kellogg and then up on the elevation to the union station, where passengers will have the opportunity to inspect it.
WICHITA EAGLE Saturday, April 7, 1928 page 3
Passenger offices of the Rock Island Railroad will be moved from their present location in Union station to the old Rock Island depot about May 1.