Monday, May 4, 2020

Peoria, IL: P&PU Union Station

(Satellite, the headhouse is where the WTVP studios are now)

P&PU = Peoria & Pekin Union Railway. It was formed by four of the city's railroads in 1880 and this depot was completed in 1882. [PeoriaMagazines]
Roger Kujawa posted
Union Depot Peoria, Illinois Railroad Station 1909 Vintage Postcard

Roger Kujawa shared
Dennis DeBruler While trying to determine which railroads owned the P&PU and thus used this depot, I discovered this map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ie=UTF&msa=0...
It appears the ownership of the P&PU changed as time marched on.
David Jordan Dennis DeBruler P&PU was owned by six carriers until 1965 - C&IM, C&NW, IC, NKP, NYC and PRR.
Bill Pearsall The P&PU still exists to this day but only on paper and owns the land and leases the track to TZPR. It is currently owned by the UP, NS, and IC railroads.

Larry Miller III commented on Roger's share
And from the rail side.

Larry Miller III commented on Roger's share
1931 Train Wreck Shed Collapse Union Depot Peoria 1930s
David Jordan Train wreck that demolished Union Depot's train shed occurred October 22, 1927.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's share
I would expect the tracks to disappear since 1949. But I'm surprised how much the bridge and roads changed. As a reference, the building in the upper-right corner was the old Rock Island Depot, now The Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern.
1949 East Peoria Quandrangle @ 1:24,000
David Jordan Dennis DeBruler The last passenger train departed Union Depot in 1955, and it appeared the old coach yard was likely in place until at least that time.
Dennis DeBruler David Jordan According to the topo maps, things still looked the same through 1972. By 1979 the two freight houses are gone. The next high-res map is 1996. By then, the tracks had been removed and the Post Office and the new bridge were built. Evidently Dozer Park was built after 1996.
David Jordan Dennis DeBruler One freight house burned in 1971, the other in 1972. The last customer to use these sites - Grawey Oil Co. - moved to TP&W in East Peoria in 1973. The current post office opened in 1980, and land for it had been acquired in February 1977. This included old coach yards. I'm sure old tracks were quickly removed as construction began. Dozer Park opened in May 2002.

Roger Kujawa posted
1961 Peoria Illinois P&PU Railroad depot photograph after great fire.
Photographer unknown.
[The fire was Aug 5, 1961.]
Andy Zukowski posted
The Peoria & Pekin Union Railroad Depot After a Devastating Fire in Peoria, Illinois. 1961

Andy Zukowski posted
The Peoria Union Station Fire in Peoria, Illinois on August 26th, 1961. Photo by Monty Powell.
The Peoria Union Station was a passenger rail station that served multiple railroads, including the CRIP.
The fire started in the baggage room and quickly spread to the rest of the station. No one was injured in the fire, but the station was heavily damaged.
The cause of the fire was never determined.
The CRIP ceased operations in 1980, and the Peoria Union Station was demolished in 1981.
Harold J. Krewer: Peoria Union Station was owned by the P&PU (and housed its General Offices). It served all the Peoria railroads EXCEPT the Rock Island and interurban Illinois Terminal. The RI always had their own station on the riverfront (still extant) that they used until 1967, when the moved to a smaller facility at the foot of Morton St. adjacent to their freight yard and engine terminal (also still extant).
The last regular passenger service was Peoria & Eastern's Trains 11-12 to Indianapolis, which were cut back to Pekin in 1955, leaving the depot without trains.
The 1961 fire was the end of the building and the remainder was demolished shortly thereafter. P&PU built a new General Office Building next to their yard across the river in Creve Coeur, IL. An annex to the main Peoria Post Office was built on the old depot site, with the studios for PBS station WTVP (Ch. 47) right across the tracks.

Bill Molony posted
This is a post card picture of Union Depot in Peoria.  Undated, but circa 1900.  From the Blackhawk collection.
Bill Molony posted
This is a POST CARD picture of Union Depot in Peoria, Illinois - undated, but circa 1890. From the Blackhawk collection.
Carter B Morris Sr.: The station was last used in 1955, and was destroyed by fire 1961.

Larry Miller III posted
Union Depot with canopy still standing.

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