IN AMBOY, THERE IS A BUILDING PRESERVING HISTORY BEING SAVED BY COMMUNITY PRIDE.
. >> THE RAILROAD BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR WAS VERY MUCH A LARGE
PART OF THE CITY AND THE DRIVING
FORCE BEHIND OUR POPULATION.
IT IS QUIET NOW. THE PEOPLE IN HURRIED ATMOSPHERE ARE GONE.
BUT THE DEPOT REMAINS.
THE STYLE OF BUILDING IS CALLED
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE.
WE ARE TOLD THAT THROUGH THE
HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AGENCY
THAT IT IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS
KIND EVER BUILT IN THIS COUNTRY
AND OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE EVER
SAVED.
THIS BUILD WAS BUILT IN 1876.
IT WAS STARTED AND FISHED IN
1877, AND EACH ROOM, EACH ONE OF
THE 17 ROOMS SERVED A SPECIFIC
PURPOSE.
FOR MANY YEARS, THERE WERE
QUARTERS WHERE PEOPLE COULD STAY
OVERNIGHT AND CATCH THE
PASSENGER TRAIN OUT OF HERE THE
NEXT MORNING.
ONCE THIS WAS THE MAJOR HUB FOR
THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL AND BUS
STOP BETWEEN DECATUR AND
FREEPORT.
IN FRONT RAN 23 PARALLEL TRACKS
PLACED SO CLOSE TOGETHER ONLY
INCHES SEPARATED THE ROLLING
STOCK.
SURROUNDING THE DEPOT WAS A MERE
YID OF SUPPORT AND REPAIR
BUILDINGS NOW ALL GONE.
THE ONLY TRACKS THAT REMAIN LAY
UNDERNEATH THIS 1929 LOCOMOTIVE.
>> IT IS THE LAST LOCOMOTIVE WHO
HAULED PASSENGER SERVICE IN THIS
COUNTRY.
IT HAS WELL OVER A MILLION MILES
ON IT, AND IS TOLD TO US TO BE
THE LOCOMOTIVE WHICH HAS CARRIED
MORE PASSENGERS THAN ANY OTHER
LOCOMOTIVE EVER BUILT IN THIS
COUNTRY.
>> WHILE THE EXTERIOR
RESTORATION IS DONE, THE
INTERIOR IS WAITING ITS TURN.
INSIDE, PLASTER WALLS CRACK WITH
AGE IN ROOMS WHERE PIECES OF
EQUIPMENT LAY SCATTERED ABOUT.
IN ONE CORNER, THE RADIO SEEMS
READY TO RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT
ORDERS TO PASSING FREIGHT
TRAINS.
ABOVE, HANGS THE RATE
NOTIFICATION OF 1941, STATING
BASIC PAY WAS NOW 36 CENTS AN
HOUR.
>> THIS ROOM WAS ORIGINALLY THE
LADY'S WAITING ROOM.
TO MY LEFT, WAS THE MEN'S
WAITING ROOM.
BUT BACK IN THOSE YEARS, THINGS
WERE OBVIOUSLY SEGREGATED BY
GENDER.
BEHIND ME WAS ORIGINALLY THE
DRESSING ROOM.
IN 1940, AFTER PASSENGER
SERVICE
WAS DISCONTINUED, THAT ROOM WAS
CHANGED TO A FREIGHT ROOM.
>> IN THE ORIGINAL FREIGHT ROOM,
THE OLD VAULT STANDS OPEN.
INSIDE, THE WALLS ARE LINED WITH
HANDWRITTEN NAMES OF SOME OF
THOSE WHO ONCE WORKED AT THE
DEPOT.
AMONG THE NAMES IS THIS
REFERENCE TO "SMASHED CARS" FROM
1913.
>> THE EVENT THAT THAT MENTIONS
IS ONE THERE IS A PICTURE AROUND
HERE SOMEWHERE DEPICTING THE
ACTUAL TRAIN CRASH AND IT ALMOST
KNOCKED THE BILLING DOWN.
THERE WERE I THINK 23 CARS THAT
WENT OVER -- WERE TIPPED OVER
HERE.
IT SHOWS PILES AND PILES OF COAL
AND MEN CLIMBING ON THE CARS.
>> BUT THE DEPOT IS MORE THAN
ECHOES OF RAILROADING MEMORIES.
ITS UPPER FLOOR ONCE OFFICES AND
GUEST ROOMS HAS BECOME AMBOY'S
MUSEUM, AND IDEA THAT BEGAN WITH
A TON OF ROCKS.
>> THESE ARE GENTLEMEN THAT
LIVED IN AMBOY FOR MANY, MANY
YEARS.
HIS NAME WAS ARTHUR BROKER.
HE WAS A PROFESSOR.
HE TRAVELED THE COUNTRY AT HIS
OWN EXPENSE, AND HE KNEW MORE
ABOUT FOSSILS AND ROCKS THAN
ANYBODY WE HAVE EVER MET.
THESE ARE WORTH THOUSANDS AND
HOUSING OF DOLLARS.
MASS AT THAT DON TOOTH, THINGS
HE FOUND IN THE SOUTHWEST, AND
IT IS ALL UP THERE AND PART OF
OUR HERE.
>> SO, TOO, IS FARMING.
ON DISPLAY IS PLOWS AND PLANTERS
THAT WERE FROM THE 1800'S AND
DONATED BY AREA FAMILIES.
ONE UNIQUE ITEM HAS TO BE A
SPECIAL SEAT.
>> WE HAVE A CHAIR UP THERE THAT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN WHEN HE VISITED
AMBOY IN 1856, BELIEVE IT OR
NOT, GOT SHARED IN.
THAT CHAIR IS UPSTAIRS.
WHEN WE COMPLETE OUR
RESTORATION, THAT CHAIR WILL
HAVE THE MOST PROMINENT SPOT.
>> BUT FOR SOME, IT IS THE
PICTURES THAT HOLD THE MOST
FASCINATION, PICTURES OF PEOPLE
WHO GAVE THIS TOWN ITS
CHARACTER, STARING BACK AT
FUTURE GENERATION, PICTURES THAT
ARE NOW PRESERVED IN THE
BUILDING AROUND WHICH THERE LIES
-- THEIR LIVES ONCE
REVOLVED.
>> EACH YEAR, AMBOY HOLDS A
DEPOT DAY FESTIVAL TO HELP RAISE
MONEY TO FINANCE THE CONTINUED
RESTORATION EFFORT.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMBOY DEPOT MUSEUM CALL (815)857-3814.