Pontiac, IL: 1905 Chicago & Alton, Wabash & IC Depots and Old Route 66 Gas Station

C&A: (Satellite)

Wabash: (Satellite, on the west side of the tracks and a little closer to Madison than North+Howard Streets.)

IC Depot: (Satellite, I think Mill Street was built on the railroad property.)

IC Water Tower: (Satellite)

C&A Depot

Jimmy Fiedler posted
Chicago & Alton RR Pontiac IL depot circ 1905
Bill Molony posted
This is the Chicago & Alton Railroad depot in Pontiac, Illinois - circa 1920.
John Smith this doesnt match the C&A depot on my maps ?!?
Dennis DeBruler I wonder why they had two water towers here.
John Smith not sure Pontiac only had one by there depot id love to know what depot this really is

I can't get over how rural this picture looks. Was this replaced by the current station. The current one was already built by 1940. I find it interesting that neither Google nor Bing have sent a street view vehicle down Washington Street so I can't get a better view of the current station. This aerial is another reminder that depots used to have canopies over the platform to help protect the customers from the elements. Even on a dry summer day, it is protection because it provides shade. This may have been rural in 1905 because even by 1940, Ladd Street was the west side of town.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

 

Andy Zukowski posted
C. & A. Railroad Depot in Pontiac, Illinois. C.1910   Photo by C.R. Childs
Richard Fiedler shared

Street View, Aug 2019

 

Street View, Aug 2019

This photo has been moved to "Pontiac, IL: C&A, IC and Wabash Junctions."

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Wabash

William Shapotkin posted
Found this image (on Pininterest) of the Wabash depot in Pontiac, IL. The resolution is not the best -- might anyone have a better quality photo? Am in the process of obtaining photos along the Wabash betw Fairbury and Streator, IL. Thanking you in advance.

I included the brick building on the north end of this excerpt.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Pontiac was on the branch from Forrest to Streater. Streator had a lot of mines and glass factories and several railroads wanted to get in on the action.

Bill Molony posted via Dennis DeBruler

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Illinois Central Depot

Note the wood grain elevator in the left background. It is probably close to the Wabash Railroad.

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot at Pontiac, Illinois during the winter of 1955.

Larry Candilas commented on Andy's post
MP 106.0 Pontiac District; a few years later in May 1967 heading WB toward Minonk

Paul Jones: Larry Candilas west end of the Saxony to Minok I.C. part of the original Bloomer Line

Larry Candilas: Paul Jones that was called the Pontiac District; the Otto-Bloomington piece was the Bloomington District

The water tower is on the south side of the IC tracks and straight underneath the crossing of the C&A and Wabash. Since this water tower is beyond the depot in the Andy's photo, it is about halfway between the tower and Main Street. Note that the platform seems to cross the tracks near the tower and go along the north track. I think Mill Street was built on the railroad property. On a satellite image, look how Main Street was curved to the west to make more room for the printing plant.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Randy Phillips Flip posted via Dennis DeBruler, cropped

All

The east/west route across the top was the IC. The route on the left was the C&A and the route on the right was the Wabash branch to Streator.

1939 Pontiac Quad @ 62,500

Bonus

Charles Martel posted
the Log Cabin Inn,Bar - B - Q & Gas Station , Route 66 in Pontiac, Illinois.

I knew that I-55 followed US-66 in northern Illinois. I wondered if it followed it all the way to St. Louis. It appears that it does.

route66roadtrip