Cherokee, IA: IC Roundhouse, Water Tower & 1896 Depot and Old Grain Elevator

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite) Northwest Iowa Railroad Museum

Elevator: (Satellite)

Roger Thornley posted
This is a picture of the Illinois Central roundhouse and yard at Cherokee, Iowa. Looks to be a very busy place! Believed to be taken between 1907 and 1912.
(Picture borrowed from Terry Kneen)
There was a group that was trying to save the roundhouse and depot years ago. But they couldn't get the funding to save the roundhouse, but thankfully they did for a depot. The City administrator wanted it gone, as it wasn't generating any tax dollars. Funny thing, it still isn't today either! The turn table was there a few years ago, but CN raided it for parts for the one at Ft. Dodge.

Satellite

1971 Cherokee North and 1969 Cherokee South Quads @ 24,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on Roger's post
Apr 9, 1968 @ 20,000 [AR1VBZT00010062]

IC used to have a north/south route in addition to today's east/west route, but ICG abandoned it.

1958 Fort Dodge Quad @ 250,000

Street View, Nov 2021

cherokeedepot.org
The depot has a model room layout and rooms for rent.

 

Jim Arvites posted

View of the Illinois Central Railroad depot in Cherokee, Iowa circa 1900. The station, built 1896, served IC passenger trains until May 1971. It was later used by the IC as a freight station until 1982 when the railroad vacated the building. The station has been restored and today is a museum.

(Cherokee Area Archives)

Michael Behm posted
The Illinois Central Railroad depot at Cherokee iowa Central Station. Cherokee was a hub for the Illinois Central Railroad's . My picture from 5/16/19
The former depot is a 2+1⁄2-story brick structure on a limestone foundation, and capped with a hipped roof. It was designed by the architects of the Illinois Central Railroad.[2] The interior featured two waiting rooms on the first floor, one for the men and one for women. Office's for the IC's division headquarters occupied the second floor. The exterior of the building was altered in the 1940s. The canopy over the old platform is a reconstruction of the original. The American Express building is a single-story brick structure built on a concrete and limestone foundation. It too was capped with a hipped roof. This building was altered in 1922. Both buildings are located next to each other along South Fourth Street

It is labeled Wych Dr. Distilling Co. and there are several tank cars spotted on its siding.

North end:

Street View, Jun 2024

South end:

Street View, Nov 2021

Wesley Peters posted three photos with the comment:

Hobart & Snyder Flathouse/warehouse as it appeared in Fall 1871, Cherokee, IA.

The top photograph taken sometime in September or October 1871 shows the completed warehouse with the Fairbanks scale and transfer ramp to the right.

In the background, behind the ramp, is the 24-foot square warehouse of C. Beckwith who had a new grain flathouse/warehouse under construction in September 1871. The Beckwith warehouse was later replaced by the new headhouse for Robertson & Patton in 1885 (still standing).

Newspaper Mentions of the Hobart & Snyder Warehouse/Elevator.

The Cherokee Times, dated July 28, 1871, mentions that work on the new warehouse was nearing completion with interior painting still required. The first floor housed general materials like lumber, windows, doors, lime and cement, while the second floor was divided into two rows of bins.

In 1872 the Hobart & Snyder flathouse/warehouse was remodeled into an elevator according to the newspaper.

In May 1873 it was mentioned that construction work on a new headhouse just south of their previous elevator had started. The new headhouse had a 25,000-bushel capacity. The flathouse/warehouse elevator had a 10,000-bushel capacity.

Today both the 1871 flathouse/warehouse and 1873 headhouse are standing. They are the oldest surviving wooden elevators in Northwest Iowa. The flathouse/warehouse in Cherokee is older than the 1882-1883 Charles Stuart & Son Elevator in Ross, IA by just over a decade.

The Hobart & Snyder Elevator Complex also has the distinction of having the last surviving flathouse/warehouse type elevator in Iowa (a second example, built in 1898, stood in Mapleton, IA. It was demolished in 2021).

Historic photograph shared by John Snapp on PM (a copy of this photograph is also held by the Cherokee Public Library in their local history room). I am not sure where this photographed originated from source wise.

Bottom photos courtesy of Wesley Peters. Photographed on 5/26/2023.

Robert Chitwood: That's different. Started out as a lumber warehouse.

Wesley Peters: Robert Chitwood It was a grain warehouse but they also carried other supplies. Two large grain storage bins were situated on the second floor.

Joselyn Taylor Wells: Robert Chitwood at the time it was built even in to the 1930's is was common for these small "prairie" elevators and grainy's to also be lumber, coal, bulk, and building supplies dealers. The rail service to to them made for easy one stop for the railroad, merchants, contractors, and the farmers they supplied.

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