Illinois Central Depot & Daenzer House

Illinois Central Depot and Daenzer House. Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail. Glen Carbon had a long and close relationship with railroads, a relationship fostered principally by the town's location and its coal mining heritage. The village's position at the head of one of the few valleys that deeply penetrate the low bluffs above the Mississippi River's flood plain virtually guaranteed it a position as a railroad gateway. The valley of Judy's Branch creek and its tributary provide low-gradient routes for railways to climb from the valley to the top of the bluffs and the great Illinois prairie. , Credits: Steel Rails in the Valley and on the Bluff, Mark Cereck, Anton Daenzer was the Mine Superintendent of the Madison Coal Corporation's many mines. Mr. William Guy, president of Madison Coal Corp., commissioned the construction of a lovely two-story Victorian home for Daenzer and his family. This home, built on the bluff above Collinsville Street, had a sweeping view of the Company offices, Coal Mine #2 and the village in the valley below. One can imagine Mr. Daenzer's many trips up and down the long stairway to his office just beyond the train depot across the road on Collinsville Street., The Daenzer family became prominent in early Glen Carbon society. One of his sons, John, employed as "face boss," almost lost his life in a devastating fire in Mine #2 on November 2, 1914., The Illinois Central Depot at Collinsville Street sat just below the Daenzer home at the base of the bluff. The Illinois Central provided passenger service to St. Louis several times a day beginning at 6 a.m. One could spend the day in St. Louis shopping or visiting family and still catch the 10:10 back home to Glen Carbon. Many people attended the 1904 World's Fair via this train depot. This railroad line supplied a variety of fruit and vegetables from the Illinois prairies to the city of St. Louis. As important and interesting as passenger service was for Glen Carbon, it was always freight that was any railroad's bread and butter.