Rock Island Depot

Rock Island Depot. . Long before the Rock Island Railroad opened its new passenger depot in 1910 on land originally platted by William Sturdevant, this corner was an important commercial location. Edward Knott and his sons John and Alfred operated a horse importing and livery business at this intersection. Edward imported horses from England and France for resale in the Dakotas and the eastern United States; his sons' livery operation stabled horses and rented carriages and buggies. They also furnished "careful drivers when desired." , An 1888 Des Moines State Register article declared that Edward Knott and Co. "ranks among the best stables in the State" and "they are among the best horsemen in Iowa." A local publication similarly noted that the company was a leader in the Iowa horse industry and was known as such "from the Atlantic to the mountains." , The livery stable and barns were destroyed by a fire of mysterious origin, discovered just after midnight on a Sunday morning in May 1904. Firemen were hampered by a lack of water pressure as the fire spread rapidly through the hay loft. The spectacular blaze illuminated Bremer Avenue for blocks, making the front of the old courthouse "gleam as if under a July sun." Fourteen of the 17 horses in the barns were "cremated" and many tons of hay and straw destroyed. John Knott quickly announced that the livery would reopen at another location with buggies and harness that had been rescued from the fire. , The 1904 fire that destroyed Edward Knott and Co. provided the opportunity for the Rock Island Railroad to build a new passenger depot along Bremer Avenue. Edward Knott sold his corner lot to the railroad in November, but for nearly five years the new depot was only rumored in the newspapers. In July 1909, the railroad finally announced its plan to build a red brick depot for its Short Line route to Waverly Junction, six miles to the southwest. The Waverly Republican encouraged the citizens and businessmen of Waverly to request that a tower with a clock be added to the design. , As the work of clearing the ground for construction began, a new and unique architectural plan emerged. A Spanish Mission-style depot would be built using a patented process invented by George M. Graham, who was hired to oversee the project. A framework of steel pipes filled with concrete was covered with heavy wire forming a grid of 12" squares. Wire mesh was then fastened to the framework, and the mesh was spread with concrete on both sides leaving an air space in the middle of the walls. It was claimed that the weight of such a building was one-third that of a brick building of similar size. Because window frames and doors contained the only wood used in the structure, it would be fireproof. The Waverly depot was only the second building ever constructed with this process. , By early 1910, a brick platform was completed around the building, steam heating and electric lighting were installed, and interior plaster and dark oak woodwork were applied. The Waverly Republican of March 17, 1910, described the depot's furniture as "heavy carved weathered oak, mounted on stands ornamented with oxidized metal." On July 3, 1910, the depot officially opened. The old wooden depot located near 2nd Avenue became the freight depot; it can be seen at the far left of this photo. , M.G. Mitchell, long-time conductor on the shuttle connecting Waverly to the Rock Island's main line at Waverly Junction, developed a park between the depot and Bremer Avenue. He planted a lawn, built a fence, and created the railroad's emblem with white stones in the park's center. Later, he also installed a flagpole and provided a flag. "Mitch" Mitchell retired in 1919 after a 48-year railroad career. , Passenger and freight train traffic began to decline in the 1920s as highways improved and automobiles and trucks became more popular. By 1933, the Rock Island Short Line route to Waverly Junction was no longer profitable. The railroad at first decreased the number of passenger trains running each day, then rented half of the building for storage, and finally reduced the service to three freight trains per week. The Rock Island Depot closed in 1959. , Depot photos from the Waverly Historical Photographs Collection of the Waverly Public Library and from the collection of the Bremer County Historical Society.