Trains and Depots

We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma. Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"? What do YOU remember?

The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories. We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact:

Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL 62530; (217) 625-7527

Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

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ALMA

Train Depot - Alma, Illinois

(TD-10) Depot in Alma, Illinois

Train Depot - Alma, Illinois

(TD-11) Close up of the Depot in Alma, Illinois

Alma Section Gang - 1913

Train Depot - Alma, Illinois John Ford, Chester Ford, Ross Day, LaVerne Winks

(TD-12) Waiting at the depot in Alma: John S. Ford, Chester Ford, Ross Day, and LaVerne “Hody” Winks

___________, Byron Barbee, Fred Hubert, ____________ standing in front of an Illinois Central train

(BA-67) Depot in Alma, Illinois - Nov. 8, 1929

(BA-68) Depot in Alma, Illinois - Nov. 8, 1929

Alma, Illinois - I.C. Freight train

(T-4) Illinois Central Railroad Freight - Alma, Illinois

Alma Illinois Central building

Train Depot - Alma, Illinois

(TD-30) Sylvia (Braden) Hester at the Alma depot

BRUBAKER

Brubaker, Illinois depot

(TD-20) Brubaker Depot

"The Kinmundy Express" - July 12, 1917. (Brubaker News column): The new C & E.I. depot here is almost complete."

Brubaker Depot - 4 women stand in front in 1922

KINMUNDY

Kinmundy Illinois - Train Depot

(TD-1a) Illinois Central Railroad Station – Kinmundy, Illinois

(This is looking east from 3^rd St. close to tracks. You can see Squire’s House in background.)

The above photo was reprinted in "The Kinmundy Express" in the mid-1970's with the following caption:

“A winter scene of the old Illinois Central water tower and depot at Third Street. In the background is the old power plant smokestack.”

Kinmundy Illinois - Train Depot

(TD-4) Illinois Central Depot & Water Tower – Kinmundy, Illinois (Looking southeast from RR crossing on 3^rdSt.)

Illinois Central Depot & Water Tower – Kinmundy, Illinois (Looking southeast from RR crossing on 3^rdSt.)

(TD-41b) A Train at the Kinmundy Depot

"C. & E.I. Track Layer at Kinmundy. This cross the I.C. Tracks Xmas Eve at 5 p.m.________ in a snow storm. This was picture was at 4 p.m."

(According to Kinmundy histories, the C. & E.I. tracks came thru Kinmundy in 1895.)

(TD-6b) Illinois Central Railroad Depot – Kinmundy, Illinois (completed on 26 Sept 1856). Looking southeast.

(TD-36) Illinois Central Railroad Depot – Kinmundy, Illinois (looking northeast)

A crowd gathers at the Illinois Central Railroad depot along Third Street awaiting a dignitary to arrive.

"The Kinmundy Express" - Dec. 12, 1907 - "The Governor Here: Last Tuesday, Governor Chas. DENEEN, his private secretary, Mr. McINTYRE, Hon. J.J. BROWN, candidate for Sec. of State and Roy WEST, chairman of Republican State Committee, arrived in this city at 4:48 p.m. and were marched to Gray’s opera house where the local republicans had arranged a reception for the party. After a song by the High School Quartet, Gov. DENEEN was introduced tot he crowd and he talked for about 20 minutes and the address was well received by the crowd. After his address Hon. J.J. BROWN made a few brief remarks. The party were enroute to Salem and were transferring to the C. & E.I. and the Republicans here took advantage of this opportunity to pay a tribute of respect to our highest state official. The opera house was well filled and the party were given a very welcome reception. They left on the six o’clock train for Salem where a meeting was held that night and a number of our people accompanied them to that place."

The No. 24 train sitting in front of the Illinois Central Railroad depot in Kinmundy. In 1942 it was consolidated with another train schedule.

1915 - Some of the Kinmundy High School girls on the Illinois Central Depot platform:

3rd year: Mary (Morgan) Thrasher, Mildred Ross, Mary Buswell, Mable (Green) Kampman

4th year: Helen Morgan, Lois (Nelms) Robb, Mary (Gramley) Garrett, Alice (Sexton) Mangner

2nd year: Minnie (Doolen) Gunderson, Dorcas (Harvey) Miller, Ethelyn Rohrbough, Emma Doolen, Rochelle Brown

(T-41b) Illinois Central Railroad Crew

Back row: Charlie Coatney, ______ Schooley, Earl Shanafelt, Dan O'Brien, Bob Gray

Front row: Alf Lemay, Gene Keen, Durb Boughers, Avery Boughers, Art Brimberry

Railroad Crew in Kinmundy (probably on Illinois Central 1920s/1930s)

Back row: Avery Boughers, Earl Shanafelt, Charles Hoyt, __________, Roley Brimberry,

__________, __________

Middle row: __________, Bob Gray, _________, Ralph Hoyt, Ben Jenkins

Front: Charles Coatney

Roley Brimberry

Roley Brimberry, Byron "Barney" Sill, and Leroy "Hop" Brimberry

Railroad crew working in Kinmundy

Kinmundy Illinois - Train Depot

(TD-39) Jim Eagan, Wilma Jean Fulfer, and Emerson Jones at the Illinois Central Depot in Kinmundy

"Illinois Central Pitches in to Beautify Kinmundy for Centennial Observance":

"The Illinois Central railroad has joined with Kinmundy to make the city one of the most attractive in Illinois before official Centennial observance this week end. Illinois Central's crew is shown building a new asphalt crossing with a crushed stone approach for its main mid-town crossing at Third and Jefferson. Two blocks of right-of-way were cleared and equipment was loaned to the city for use where needed. All streets are in excellent condition, although rains prevented oiling throughout as intended."

May 23, 1968 – "The Kinmundy Express" - "Zatso column": “As this is being written not too much of the old depot has been torn down, but by the time you read this, I imagine there will be a considerable change in the old scenery. To a stranger, our high school is rather hard to find. And in giving directions, it was always easy to say, “Cross the I.C. tracks, turn right behind the depot, and follow that street”. You see, when you cross the tracks you run into three streets, all converging at the crossing.”

Small building along the Illinois Central Railroad that stands at the spot of where the old depot once sat.

One of the two depots in Kinmundy - either the Illinois Central Depot or the Chicago & Eastern Illinois depot.

(TD-10) One of the Kinmundy Illinois Train Depots

(TD-33e) C. & E.I. [Chicago & Eastern Illinois] Railroad Depot & motor car - Kinmundy, Illinois - taken 1898

First motor car on the C. & E.I. Railroad in Kinmundy

C. & E.I. [Chicago & Eastern Illinois] Railroad Depot & motor car - Kinmundy, Illinois

"The Kinmundy Express" - May 31, 1917 - "We are advised by N.S. SUTTON agent of C. & E.I. that on account of the increase of business arrangements are being made to enlarge their freight room to a great extent. The work is to commence in the near future, at which time the painters will repaint the building inside and outside making the station up to the standard."

"The Kinmundy Express" - Nov. 13, 1930 - "Through Service to Chicago: C. & E.I. Agent, C.S. WATSON has informed us that his company again has through passenger service to Chicago. At the time of the change in schedule, the service was so that the Chicago passengers were compelled to change cars at Villa Grove but now nice chair cars come and go all the way to and from Chicago. This method is quite a bit more convenient for the Chicago passengers."

(TD-49) Kinmundy depot - _________ and Mildred (Green) Brown - 1913

(T-40a) C & E.I. Crew - Kinmundy - Art Brimberry on far right

Kinmundy Illinois - Train Depot - Tom Sager

(TD-40) Tom Sager with a baggage cart at the Kinmundy Depot

Alma, Illinois Dept

(TD-13) A group of Alma women on their way to Chicago to perform in a music contest. This is probably the depot in Kinmundy.

Train Depot - Alma, Illinois

(TD-14) Group of Alma at the local depot - possibly in Kinmundy?

Kinmundy's C & E.I. Depot

Kinmundy's C & E.I. Depot in the summer of 1951 while the Children's Choir and families waited for their trip to Chicago on the Meadowlark.

"The Kinmundy Express" - Aug. 1, 1963 - "Depot Moved: As far as the C. & E.I. Railroad is concerned, Kinmundy does not exist, except a place where their tracks cross the Illinois Central tracks, and a city to which they must pay taxes without getting any return revenue. Last week, the depot was sold and moved by Ed HALL, to his property near the Illinois Central Lake. He will make it into a residence. This building is not too old as it was remodeled and a lot of the lumber replaced not too long ago. However, the C. & E.I. depot was classed as one of the old landmarks, and it sure looks odd in that vicinity without it.”

Home of Edward & Martha (Keen) Hall located south of Kinmundy along Rt. 37.

According to his daughter, Leona (Hall) Tutt, her dad remodeled it, added a garage,

and it became the pink house in this photo. The main part of the house is still there (2017),

which is the old C. E. &. I depot which at one time sat on the north side of 4th street in Kinmundy,

A bench from one of the depots in Kinmundy. This was donated to the Kinmundy Museum by Lillie (Bailey) Phillips.

Tressel on the Central & Eastern Illinois tracks - probably not long after the C & E.I. came thru Kinmundy (which was in 1895). Rt. 37 now runs thru it on the north part of town.

C. & E.I. Railroad Tressel - Kinmundy, Illinois (looking east before Rt. 37 is paved road)

Kinmundy Illinois - Train Tressel

(TD-20) Illinois Central Arch north of Kinmundy, Illinois

Illinois Central - Bridge north of Kinmundy

(T-1b) Illinois Central R.R. first fast mail trip into Kinmundy, Illinois (1890)

(T-3b) “Midnight Express” Train by Moon Light – Kinmundy, Illinois

Kinmundy Illinois Switch Tower

(TS-1) Kinmundy, Illinois Switch Tower (where I.C. and the C. & E. I. Railroad tracks cross) also known as K.J. tower

Kinmundy, Illinois Switch Tower (where I.C. and the C. & E. I. Railroad tracks cross) also known as K.J. tower

(TS-8) Kinmundy, Illinois Switch Tower (where I.C. and the C. & E. I. Railroad tracks cross) also known as K.J. tower

Kinmundy Illinois Switch Tower - Charlie Gammon

(TS-2) Charlie Gammon at the old Switch tower where he planted Cosmos flowers. He worked in the tower for many years.

Kinmundy Illinois - Charlie Gammon

(TS-4) Charles Gammon - Switch Tower operator

From the Kinmundy Centennial book in 1957:

"23" passing the old coal mine. The Illinois Central south-bound came in at 5:23 p.m. and you came back on it from a day spent in Farina. The pupils from Alma went home from school on it instead of buses."

Historic Illinois Central RR photo of Kinmundy from Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 602 Champaign, Illinois website

Train in Kinmundy or Alma, Illinois

(TD-3) Loading corn for market onto the Illinois Central at Kinmundy or Alma.

Kinmundy Depot - Train

(TD-2) Loading a Circus car at the Kinmundy Depot on flat car of train.

Fred Dunlap - Kinmundy - I.C.R.R.

(T-40) Fred Dunlap's last trip on May 31, 1941 - Illinois Central Railroad. (Fred is seated in the cab) He had started his first job on Feb. 11, 1899.

C. & E.I. Meadowlark

"The Kinmundy Express" - Oct. 3, 1946

(T-11) C. & E.I. Meadowlark advertisement in "The Kinmundy Express" - Oct. 3, 1946

Back - Walt DOOLEN, Veda ROBB, and Renee MORGAN;

Front - Clara DOOLEN

Miscellaneous train tags, bills, receipts, etc.

(TT-7) Construction of old Kinmundy Water tower along Route 37

Kinmundy, Illinois Water Tower

(TT-1) Old Kinmundy Water Tower (TT-2) Old Kinmundy Water Tower leaking water

(south of town on State Route 37) taken in 1970’s Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) winter taken in 1970’s

Kinmundy, Illinois Water Tower

(TT-3) Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) winter taken in 1970’s (TT-2)

(TT-7) Railroad Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) taken around the 1970's (TT-4) Water Tower in Kinmundy

Sept. 27, 1971 - "Belleville, Illinois News-Democrat"

1977 - Old Wooden Water Tower. Photo from Alisha Engel

(TT-23) Each winter the wooden water tank south of town is covered with ice which makes it very beautiful to look at and also makes one want to take its picture as Jim Jones of Springfield, Illinois while he was spending the Christmas holidays with his parents, James and Nelda Jones. We have been trying to find out when it was erected but so far haven't had much luck. In the research we have done we did find where the wooden water tank that stood north of the I.C. Depot was built in the latter 1880's. The tank south of town is believed to have been erected some years later maybe in the latter part of the 1890's to the early years of the 1900's. Our City Lake, formerly the Illinois Central Lake or Reservior, was enlarged in size in the early 1900's and this leads us to believe that the water tank was built around this time also. If any of our readers can help us out we would like to hear from them. ("The Kinmundy Express" - Jan. 26, 1984)

(TT-5) A frozen Railroad Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) winter taken around the 1980's (TT-6)

(TT-25) Railroad Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37)

from Gene and Nancy Bailey

"Mt. Vernon Register News"; Mt. Vernon, IL; June 27, 1974

Old Kinmundy Water Tower leaking water

Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37)

Old Water Tower Larry Engel standing underneath the leaking watertower

Dale Hunt and Larry Engel examining old leaking water tower

"Mr. Wyett Colclasure brought us this picture of the old tower which was taken just one day before being disassembled to be restored."

Kinmundy Water Tower Reconstruction

From the Centralia Sentinel:

"Wooden Water Tower Restoration Project Finished"

"Newly resotred Kinmundy Wooden Water Tank was built in 1883. It held 100,000 gallons of water. The railroad was built in 1856 and the steam engines of that era needed water every 10 to 15 miles so most towns had 50,000 gallon water tanks. This tank was built to meet the demands of the larger locomotives being produced which stopped in Effingham, Kinmundy and then travele on to Centralia. This in turn help phase out the smaller tanks.

City purchased the old tank in the 1950's from the railroad when the steam engines were being replaced by diesel locomotives. Since then the water from the old lake was pumped into the tank then gravity flowed to the city water department. The tank was used until the new city lake was built in 1997 and hooked into the water system. The wooden water tower is on the National Register of Historic Places."

Booklet - Restoration of the Illinois Central Railroad

Wood Water Tank and Tower, City of Kinmundy, Illinois

October 2000 to June 2001

(click on booklet picture above to open information and photos)

Kinmundy, Illinois Water Tower

(TT-21 The restored Kinmundy Railroad Water Tower (photo taken in 2009)

Kinmundy, Illinois Water Tower

(TT-22) Restored Kinmundy Railroad Water Tower plaque

More photos of the restoring of the Kinmundy Water Tower taken by Elwyn Cheatum

TRAIN WRECKS IN KINMUNDY

The Kinmundy Train Wreck of Jan. 22, 1912

"Fearful rear-end collision at Kinmundy, Ill., which caused the death of James T. Harrahan, former president of the Illinois Central Railraod; E.B. Peirce, general solicitor of the Rock Island, and Eldridge E. Wright of Memphis, son of Luke E. Wright, former Secretary of War. Twenty other passengers were injured. The accident was due to the crashing of a fast train into the rear of a train standing at a water tank."

(Leslie's - The People's Paper - Feb. 22, 1912)

1912 Train wreck in Kinmundy, IL

Kinmundy Illinois Central Train Wreck - 1912

(TW-6) Kinmundy Train Wreck - 1912

(TW-3) Train wreck – 1912.

“Early morning view of I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill __ __ _ cross above indicated spot where HARAHAM was taken from wreck view shows position of engine

after being pulled from under roof of special car”.

(TW-2) Kinmundy Train wreck – 1912 [“Early morning view of I.C. R.R. wreck at Kinmundy, ILL. Jan. 22, 1912 at 12:30.

The cross marks ‘the spot’ where HARAHAM’s body was located. Photo by Chas. L. WILLIAMS (copyright applied for).

No. 1 where E.E. WRIGHT’s body found.

No. 2 where F.O. MELCHER body found. No. 3 where E.R. PRICES body found”. The private car was like a small house.

The individuals in the car were all high ranking officials for I.C. Railroad.

(TW-5) Train wreck – 1912 - “I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill. at 12:30 A.M. Jan. 22, 1912. (copyright applied for Photo by C.L. WILLIAMS”]

on back – 1 car on the train bed (railroad) a private car for officials. (several killed) This train was stopped another train ran into rear-end.

The President of the Illinois Central was killed in this crash along with other railroad officials in the rear car. January 22, 1912.

(TW-4) Train wreck – 1912 [“I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill. Jan. 22, at 12:30 A.M. 1912”]

Train wreck – 1912 in Kinmundy, IL

(TW-1) Kinmundy Train wreck – 1912

[Bottom view of Private car – copyright applied for Photo by Chas L. WILLIAM]. Private car is laying on side on flat car.

Here is a link that takes you to the the website of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, Division 602 - Champaign, IL, and the official document that was produced about the Kinmundy wreck in 1912..

www.blet602.org/Historic_accidents/Kinmundy_1912.pdf

Below is the article written in "The Kinmundy Express"

“The Kinmundy Express” - January 25, 1912:

"Four Railroad Officials Killed at Kinmundy.

One I.C. and three Rock Island Men crushed to Death While Asleep in Rock Island Private Car. Four Men in the Car Escape Uninjured.

The most Disastrous Collision in History, Considering the Prominence of those killed - Three R.R. Men Hurt"

Last Saturday evening, about 5 o’clock a party of railroad officials left Chicago in a Rock Island private car hitched to the rear end of the south bound Illinois Central train No. 25. The party were enroute to Memphis on business of interest to the Rock Island Company. The evening in this car was spent in a social way till about 10:45, when all the party, except the Negro porter, retired. This train No. 25 is followed by another fast train No. 3, and the difference between their schedule time is only about 30 minutes at this place. Sunday night No. 25 arrived at Kinmundy about 30 minutes late and were on _____ time of the second train. The first train stopped for water at the _______ north of the depot and there they were standing - passengers nearly all asleep and perhaps some of them dreaming of the sunshine south for which they were enroute - this private car was ploughed into by the engine on train No. 3, and the standing train shoved toward a distance of 170 feet. The crash of the collision and the jar was felt and heard for several blocks. Two men, _____ B. RUSHING of Plainview, Tex., and Isaac KOPF, who were stopping at Dad’s Hotel, were just preparing to retire, heard the crash and hastened to the scene and seeing the collision of the affair, and the immediate need for help, sounded the bell. In a few minutes, help had arrived and rescue work had begun. Four of the escaped from the wrecked car without injury - 2 white men and two colored - the last two being the _____ and the porter. The white men, Byron V. CURRY, secretary to the 2^nd Vice President of the _______ of Chicago, and Hon. T.S. BUZBEE, Rock Island, ____ for the states of Louisiana and Arkansas with headquarters in Little Rock. These men escaped within a few inches as this huge _____ spent its force and stopped a few inches from where they were both sleeping. These called to their comrades, but _____ came, and the escaping _____ was almost suffocating and ______ the true and terrible condition of 4 members of their party, they found the front door of their crushed car and escaped in their night clothes. Kinmundy citizens soon arrived and the relief and rescue work was began. The engine on the rear train, going about 30 miles an hour, had crushed into the back end of this private car. The 2 outside walls remained in tact and were standing on each side of the boiler where they remained until a pull was made by the engine in trying to pull the wrecked car off No. 3's engine, when one of the two dead men fell from the wreckage to the ground. The roof was covering the engine, but the interior of the car was a mass of bodies, bedding, clothing, and other contents of the car. The railroad men and home people went inside and commenced the search for the dead. One by one the dead officials were removed from the debris. The dead men were: J.T. HARAHAN of Chicago, ex-president of the Illinois Central; F.O. MELCHER, 2^nd Vice President of the Rock Island Headquarters at Chicago; Judge E.E. PIERCE of Memphis, the Rock Island, headquarters at Chicago; Judge E.E. PEIRCE of Memphis, the Rock Island Attorney fro the State of Tennessee; E.B. PEARCE, of Chicago, General Solicitor for the Rock Island. Those injured in the crash were: R.J. STEWART, engineer on No. 3, thumb broken, head and face cut and bruised; C.M. VERT, fireman on No. 3, cut on head and ankle broken or dislocated; Jesse GILBERT, fireman on No. 25, was thrown from the top of the tender to the ground and had one hip badly wrenched and otherwise badly bruised. The three wounded men were taken to the waiting room at the depot, where they were given surgical attention by Doctors CAMERER and SONGER. They were taken to the hospital at Champaign on No. 10 a few hours after the wreck. The four dead officials were taken to the undertaking rooms of W.W. NEIL and J.H. NELMS, where they remained till after the arrival of the coroner. The news of the terrible disaster was soon spread over the United States over the telegraph and telephone wires, and the news of the disaster was being heralded over many of the large cities before some of the Kinmundy people knew of it. How such a terrible disaster could occur and not kill and cripple more people is a miracle. One good feature of the unfortunate affair is that the wreckage did not take fire, although it was expected that it would be ablaze every minute. To avoid such a fearful thing the engineer pulled the fire in his engine and every precaution was taken to prevent the burning of the ruins. This wreck adds a page in history of one of the most disastrous railroad collisions that ever occurred. Never before were so many prominent men killed at one time. The Illinois Central wreck train arrived from Centralia a few hours later and the work removing the debris was commenced and the men worked unceasingly until their task was completed, which was some time late Monday night. The Company started a special train from Centralia in charge of General Manager FOLEY, and the special arrived here about half past six. The word was then given out that the three dead officials from Chicago would be taken home on this special, and the body of the Memphis man would leave on train No. 5 at 9 a.m. Deputy Coroner Grant FEATHERING came up from Centralia on the special train and empaneled the following jury: H.O. MEYER, merchant; Richard WATTS, deputy sheriff of the City Court, Clyde STEEN, reporter on the Sentinel, all of Centralia, Geo. W. WHITE, T.M. SMITH and Fred O. GRISSOM, of Kinmundy. The jury, after being sworn in, retired to the Private Car of Mr. FOLEY, where the evidence of T.S. BUZBEE, B.V. CURRY and Isaac KUPF was heard, after which the jury adjourned to re-convene at the Coroner’s office in Centralia at ten o’clock the same morning. After arriving in Centralia the evidence of John H. BRAINARD, the conductor of No. 25 was heard. He testified that No. 3 had to be flagged at Effingham and upon leaving that place, he instructed his flagman to look out for No. 3 at Kinmundy as they were going to stop for water. He said he was standing in the baggage car door when his train stopped and his flagman was then out flagging No. 3 and the engineer recognized the flag with 2 blasts of the whistle. He jumped from the train to the ground before the fatal crash and escaped unhurt. BRAINARD testified the crew on No. 3 certainly knew they were following close to No. 25 as they were out of Effingham 10 minutes apart. The flagman on No. 25, Harry J. BROEKER, was the next witnessed examined. His testimony was about the same as his conductors, and he said he obeyed his orders about flagging No. 3 and he jumped from his train while it was in motion to do the work. He run north some distance swinging the stop signal and he says the engineer answered the signal by 2 blasts of the whistle. He says after alighting he ran as fast as he could till he met the approaching engine which was very close when he first left his train. The other witnesses being sent to Champaign, the jury adjourned until 10 a.m., Friday the 26^th, to hear the remainder of the testimony. The Railroad Company, The Railroad and Warehouse Commission, and the public commenced an investigation at Champaign on Tuesday to see to where and to whom lies the blame of this terrible affair. At this time it is impossible to say who is to blame but one thing is certain, the schedule time of these two trains is too close for the safety of the passengers. The I.C. officials ran a special train from Champaign Tuesday night, which followed No. 25 from Edgewood to this city, No. 25 arrived here 8 minutes ahead of the Special Train and the torpedoes, whistling, etc. caused considerable uneasiness among many of our citizens who were aroused by the commotion. It was a test run, but what they were trying to test no one seems to know."