Monday, May 4, 2020

Peoria, IL: P&PU Union Station

(Satellite, the headhouse was where the WTVP studios are now. The trainshed was on the river side of the headhouse.)
Predecessor: (Satellite)

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.

Ross Brocksmith posted
Union Station
In The 1890s
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From Grassel’s volumes titled LOOP
Imagery via the Ernest Grassel Collection - Local History Collection - Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
Richard Fiedler shared

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

A different exposure:
Andy Zukowski posted
Peoria & Pekin Union Railroad Depot Photograph After the Great Fire. Peoria, Illinois. August 5th, 1961.
Richard Fiedler shared
Andy Zukowski also posted with the same comment
Comments on Andy's second post

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.

Ross Brocksmith posted two images with the comment:
Illinois Central #1024
In Last Trip
March 15, 1939
Mattoon - Peoria Local
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
Image Source/Credit: 
Ernest Grassel Collection
Only seen in-person in the Local History Collection
Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
#peoriapubliclibrary  #peorialocalhistory  #ernestgrasselcollection
From Grassel’s volumes titled TRANSPORTATION
Richard Fiedler shared
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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.

Ross Brocksmith posted two images with the comment:
Union Station
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From Grassel’s volumes titled LOOP
Imagery via the Ernest Grassel Collection - Local History Collection - Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
Richard Fiedler shared
Robert Sullivan: Was the trainshed on the river side or the city side?
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Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's share
River side. I finally realized that I could not find the trainshed on this 1939 aerial photo because it was destroyed on October 22, 1927. I included Cedar and Washington Streets in the photo because that is about the only thing that hasn't changed down by the river. I highlighted the headhouse in red. I believe that would be in the south quadrant of the intersection of today's State and Commercial Streets, https://maps.app.goo.gl/DUnjvMNUqHkZrqGg7.
Robert Sullivan: Dennis DeBruler the things I have found written placed the station where the PBS studio is now.
I couldn't be sure about the trainshed because some of the pictures I have seen were reversed negatives.
Dennis DeBruler: Robert Sullivan Is WTVP your public station? That is the building in the south quadrant of the intersection of today's State and Commercial Streets, https://maps.app.goo.gl/4nzgfewMGWGWNcUH8
David Jordan: Dennis DeBruler Robert Sullivan The present WTVP (PBS) TV studio structure was built by O'Neill Bros. Transfer & Storage Co. at the old Peoria Union Depot site in 1966.

Ross Brocksmith posted three images with the comment:
Union Station
Train Shed Collapsed In 1928
Negative Was Reversed In Printing
This Picture Was Taken From The Southwest.  
Building Should Be At The Left Of The Tran Shed Rather Than The Right.
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So I provided a flipped image.  Ah, the ease of an iPad.
—-
From Grassel’s volumes titled LOOP
Imagery via the Ernest Grassel Collection - Local History Collection - Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
David Jordan: Collapse occurred October 22, 1927.
Richard Fiedler shared
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Ross Brocksmith posted
Waiting Room
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Since these images were adjacent to Union Station images in the Grassel binder, I presume this was inside Union Station. 
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From Grassel’s volumes titled LOOP
Imagery via the Ernest Grassel Collection - Local History Collection - Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
Richard Fiedler shared
.

Predecessor Union Station


Ross Brocksmith posted two images with the comment:
Old CB&Q Passenger Station
C 1900
Ft of Walnut St
(E State & Water St’s)
Burlington Route
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
Image Source/Credit: 
Ernest Grassel Collection
Only seen in-person in the Local History Collection
Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
#peoriapubliclibrary  #peorialocalhistory  #ernestgrasselcollection
From Grassel’s volumes titled TRANSPORTATION
David Jordan: This building was Peoria's original "union station." It opened in 1865 and continued until CB&Q moved its passenger trains to nearby P&PU Union Depot on January 1, 1899. The depot was razed in the early 1900s. it was located just above State Street (Walnut Street) where the TP&W mainline from the east just crossed the river and entered P&PU trackage.
[The CB&Q Depot was not built until 1952.]
Richard Fiedler shared
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Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's share
This diagram by David Jordan shows where the TP&W mianline used joined the P&PU. Source: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../tp-illinois...
David Jordan: Dennis DeBruler I believe the Ernest Grassel photo looks north toward downtown Peoria. The highrise at right is probably the Gipps Brewing Co. Illinois River out of photo at right.


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