Washington in Franklin County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot
Freight Depot
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017
1. 1856 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot Marker
The first train arrived in Washington, Missouri, in 1855. That event confirmed Washington's position as the major transportation center in Franklin County. The railroad town's first railroad depot was destroyed in a Civil War raid on October 2, 1864.
In 1865 the present frame depot was constructed just west of the foot of Elm Street. The frame Missouri Pacific depot served for 58 years as Washington's transportation center, from the close of the Civil War until it was replaced by the more modern brick depot in 1923. The frame depot had separate waiting rooms for men and women in one half of the building and handled baggage and freight in the other half.
At the time Missouri Pacific began construction on the brick depot, the frame depot was relocated from its site at the west edge of Elm Street to its present location at the foot of Cedar Street on the north side of Front Street. The building was then converted for use as the freight depot.
Ownership of the depot buildings passed from Union Pacific Systems to the City of Washington in 1985. Renovation work on the freight depot proceeded in cooperation with the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce. This 1865 Missouri Pacific depot is the oldest depot building still remaining on an active rail line in the State of Missouri.
Topics. This historical marker
this page online
Location. 38° 33.71′ N, 91° 0.78′ W. Marker is in Washington, Missouri, in Franklin County. Marker is on West Front Street east of Cedar Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, in front of the MO-PAC caboose exhibit, just east of the 1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 325 West Front Street, Washington MO 63090, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Missouri Pacific Railway Station (here, next to this marker); The Civil War Comes to Washington (a few steps from this marker); Henry A. Hartbauer (a few steps from this marker); Washington's Railroad History (within shouting distance of this marker); Pacific House (within shouting distance of this marker); Pacific Railroad Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Missouri Pacific Passenger Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Missouri Meerschaum Company (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washington.
More about this marker. Marker is a large metal plaque, mounted on a waist-high
2. Marker detail: Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot at Washington, Missouri, circa 1919
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot, Washington, Missouri
Also see . . .
1. Washington, MO (WAH). This old passenger depot, of wooden frame construction built by the Pacific Railroad in 1865, was moved on log rollers to make way for the current passenger depot. This older building was completed to replace the original station from 1855, which had been burnt in General Sterling Price’s raid during the Civil War. Now sitting next door to the passenger station, it has been used as a freight depot since its move in the 1920s. Some say it is the oldest standing wooden railroad depot west of the Mississippi River. (Submitted on August 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. History of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Known as the "First Railroad in the West," the Missouri Pacific Railroad played a vital role in United States history. The Missouri Pacific Railroad commonly called the MoPac, reflected huge changes in the U.S: from the development of the transcontinental railway system, to the labor strikes and boom times of the Gilded Age, through the financial difficulties of the depression, and finally into the modern age of business consolidation. Work began on the MoPac in 1851 as part of the transcontinental railway boom of the mid-1800s.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017
3. 1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot Marker (tall view; MO-PAC caboose in background)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017
4. 1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot Marker (wide view; marker visible at left)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017
5. 1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot Marker (wide view; Railroad Depot visible behind marker)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017
6. 1865 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot (east side view)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 462 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
