Louisville, IL: Lost/B&O Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted

B&O Depot, Louisville, Illinois.

Photo of the former B&O Southwestern at the small town of Louisville, Illinois.

This town is located on the B&O branch that ran from Beardstown to Shawneetown, Illinois. The B&O referred to this town as Louis so as to avoid any confusion with Louisville, KY. Very little trace of this line exists here today. Photo taken 5/20/68 by Barry Lennon

The grain elevator on the left is where  the bins in the above photo used to stand.

Street View, Jul 2024

This is the elevator that is in the right background of the above view.

Street View, Sep 2023

Given the cross street in Andy's photo, I think it is the rectangle that was south of the tracks and west of Chestnut Street.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Owaneco, IL: Lost/B&O Depot and Wood Grain Elevator

Depot: (Satellite?)

Elevator: (Satellite)

Thomas Scoville posted
The Baltimore & Ohio depot at Owaneco in June 1975. This building has been preserved at a museum in Taylorville. Unknown photographer, Thomas Dyrek collection.
[I couldn't find a museum, let alone the building.]
Richard Fiedler shared

I could not find the depot on this aerial. Note how IL-29 used to go around town rather than through it. The curved road behind the depot in Thomas' photo implies the depot was on the southeast side of town, but I don't see a building there. There is a smudge of the correct size north of the tracks and on today's Main Street. But if that is it, we should be able to see the grain elevator in the background of Thomas' photo.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The grain elevator in the aerial is extant, and the elevator has grown considerably considering that it lost rail service quite a while ago.

Street View, May 2024

Street View, Jul 2024

White C: Norris City, IL: Moreheat/Norris City Coal Mine

(Satellite)

David Cantrell posted two images with the comment: "Postcard of Norris City Coal Company located north of town along the B&O railroad and 1912 Sanborn Map."

Roger Kujawa shared

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Dennis DeBruler commented on David's post
The railroad that went by the tipple was the B&O. https://wikiimage.isgs.illinois.edu/.../norris-city.pdf

Directory

Dennis DeBruler commented on David's post
1938 photo, https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bhj01163.jpg

Scott McVey posted five  images with the comment:

Thanks so much for this pic 🤗. My Great Grandfather, William Aladean McVey, was a top man and died as a result of an accident there in February, 1912. My Grandfather, William Jr., was just 2 months old. I had never seen these pics before, I will add them to our family records 🙏🏼

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Clay City, IL: Lost/B&O Southwestern Depot

(Satellite)

David Cantrell posted
Clay City B&O Southwestern depot and locomotive in 1907. Photo posted by Gerald White.
David Cantrell also posted with the same comment.

My standard Illinois aerial is rather ambiguous.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Fortunately, ILHAP is now offering more recent aerials. This shows that the depot was in the northwest quadrant of Main Street and the tracks. And it shows that the town had two wood grain elevators back in 1960.

1960 Aerial Photo

Today, it has one grain elevator with just bins.

Street View, Aug 2024

1949/49 Flora quad @ 62,500

When I didn't like the 1938 photo, I also kicked off a download from the USGS collection.

Jun 29, 1952 @ 23,600; AR1VQ0000010062

Cisne, IL: Lost/B&O Depot, Big Fire Station and Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite, based on the aerial photo below.)

David Cantrell posted

Cisne, Illinois B&O Depot 1909

-Ebay

Comments on the above post

The grain elevator is an interesting hybrid of wood and concrete.

Street View, Jul 2024

Note that the fire station in the left background has four doors. I wonder why such a small town has such a big fire station.

Street View, Jul 2024

The paint on the mural has faded quite a bit since 2011.

Anthony Mousseau, Mar 2011

Speaking of small, the town doesn't show up on a B&O map. It's between Flora and Fairfeld.

Rumsey

Because of the buildings in the background of the photo at the top of these notes, I'm picking the small rectangle south of Park Street.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Millersville, IL: Lost/B&O Depot

(Satellite, the road and grain elevator have reused the land.)

The white building in the background was probably a grain elevator. I wonder if the tall building to the left of the white building is a coal mine.

Andy Zukowski posted
The Railroad Train Depot at Millersville, Illinois, in 1914.

Jacob Hortenstine: if taken in Illinois that would be B&O Shawneetown to Beardstown branch about six miles north of Pana Illinois

Richard Fiedler shared

Larry Candilas commented on Richard's share
More passenger trains back in 1911 than most cities outside the Northeast Corridor have today!

This shows that the road used to go around the town.

1949/59 Panaa @ 62,500

I think the depot used to be between the short diagonal road and the tracks. But I can't find it. 1938 seems early for a depot to have been removed. The white grain elevator appears to be still standing. In the photo at the top, to the left of the base of the depot, you can see the old diagonal road curving to become Center Street.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The grain elevator has grown. If it still existed, the depot may have been in the foreground of this view.

Street View, Jul 2024

Beecher City, IL: Abandoned/B&O Depot

(Satellite)

Jacob Hortenstine posted
B&O depot Beecher City Illinois {Effingham county museum photo}

Richard Fiedler: Guess about 1900-05?

Wooden train order signal pole.

Roger G. Perkins: I believe the 2nd man from the left is Arthur Franklin Tate who was the second agent at this depot. He was working in St. Louis, MO in 1900 and by 1904, he was in Beecher City. This is based on the fact his eldest son was born in Beecher City in 1904. The Tate home was about 1/2 block from the depot. This view is looking northward; the home is east of the depot. The first agent, Henry Lyman Beecher, was already living in Ohio in the early 1900s.

Bill Edrington: Note that the signboard lists the distances to Beardstown ("B") and Shawneetown ("S"). Great picture.

Gary Sams: Sorry guys I posted it in the Clover Leaf. Looks to be exact photo. Mine says 11-06-1909 B&O Depot Beecher City, Illinois originally posted by me 12-08-2015

Roger G. Perkins: My grandfather purchased the general store in 1932 and when my parents married in 1938, they lived with Grandpa above the grocery store. It became my home as well when I was born in 1939. Thus I grew up across the street from this depot. Have had creosote and cinders in my blood from very early on.

Henry Lyman Beecher served as the first depot agent in Beecher City from the beginning in the early 1870s; his uncle Charles Beecher, an attorney, promoted the building of the railroad. As far as I can determine, Frank Tate was the next agent. Mr. Tate started shortly after 1900; his eldest son was born in Beecher City in 1904. Mr. Tate continued as agent through the 1930s based on the US Census records and was transferred to Edinburg, IL as the agent by 1940. I have no records concerning who the last agent was. The depot was either razed on moved and a shed open on the track side was build on the location.

The village of Beecher City, IL is named to honor Charles Beecher. The main street is Charles Street which can be seen cross the tracks.

Richard Fiedler shared

Richard Fiedler shared

Steven Hooker shared

Roger G. Perkins commented on Jacob's post
A copy of this post card is my computer wall paper. I am from Beecher City, IL and remember this depot. This is a photo of me standing on the street behind the depot early 1940s. The scan of the post card I have is post marked 1908 on the back side. I am friends with the grandson of Frank Tate who was the B&O agent there, and we believe Frank is the second man from the left. I have made several enquiries about who the other men are with no success. There was a general store across the street from the depot; it was Hancock Store in the 1908 time frame. I suspect others shown my be Hancock and Jennings men.

Roger G. Perkins commented on Jacob's post

1945/45 St. Elmo Quad @ 62,500

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Omaha, IL: Lost/B&O Depot

(Satellite, based on the aerial photo below and the grain elevator in the photo.)

Andy Zukowski posted
Baltimore & Ohio RR Depot and related yard at the small Illinois town of Omaha. 1907

Larry Graham: Shawneetown line?

Dwaine Hubbell: Larry Graham Yes

Richard Fiedler shared

1906/06 Eldorado Quad @ 62,500

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Moccasin, IL: Lost/C&EI Depot

(Satellite, my guess based on the aerial photo below.)

I was surprised that a town with so few homes has a Town Hall. But then I saw that it was the township office.

Effingham County Courthouse Museum Effingham IL posted

Good morning! Today's picture takes us to Moccasin Township. 

The top picture shows the depot for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad and the bottom picture is a ticket purchased at that depot. Many people would buy a ticket and go to Shelbyville to shop for the day or visit family. This was an easy way to travel especially in rainy or snowy weather when the roads were bad. 

This depot is long gone and I'm looking for a better picture of it. If any of you remember this building or have a better picture of it, I'd love to have it. Moccasin had two railroads running through it at one time but now only one remains. 

Wherever you may be, I wish you a wonderful day!

Richard Fiedler shared

There were two rectangles along the tracks. I assume it is the northern one because it has an access road.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The abandoned railroad on the west side of town was the B&O.

1958/71 Decatur Quad @ 250,000

It appears the C&EI crossed the B&O just north of Altamont.

Satellite

Gilmore, IL: Lost/B&O Depot

(Satellite, the B&O still leaves a scar in the farmer's fields.)

Not only is the depot and railroad lost, but most of the town is lost.

Effingham County Courthouse Museum Effingham IL posted

Good morning! Today's picture takes us to West Township. West Township is located in the far southwest corner of Effingham County.

This picture shows Gilmore Depot in West Township. Gilmore was also known as Welton. West Township was crossed on the northeast corner by the old Springfield and Ohio Railroad which later became the Baltimore and Ohio Southern. The railroad was abandoned and tracks removed in 1986.

I bet if you have driven through this area recently, you probably did not realize that a depot and train tracks were once located here. You can barely discern where the rails were once placed. 

Many people would board this train to shop in Altamont. This did this especially in bad weather when it was difficult the unpaved roads. Sometimes they would ride this train to visit family and friends in Altamont. Sometimes they rode the train even further to visit family and friends who lived outside of Effingham County. 

It is hard sometimes for us to comprehend how difficult the dirt roads were in bad weather. A lot of change came with the advent of "hard roads". I remember my grandma saying that it made a huge change in their lives because they were no longer cut off from others during bad weather.

Wherever you may be, I wish you a wonderful day!

Sibyl E Etchason: My older siblings rode “The Puddlejumper” as it was called from Gilmore to Altamont each Sunday night and home Friday night all 4 years of high school at ACHS.

Mike Varady: There was an extension of the B & O Railway. It extended from Gilmore to near Heartville, near the current "Y Yard."

Richard Fiedler shared

Richard Fiedler shared

Note that the Mahan Cemetery still exists.

1956/57 Edgewood Quad @ 62,500

It looks like the depot disappeared after the hard roads of the 1920s were developed because I could not find it in 1938.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP