Madison in Lake County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Madison Depot

January 4, 2026

1. Madison Depot Markers

Inscription. This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior

This building was graciously donated by the Burlington Northern Railroad Company for the purpose of historical preservation, railroad museum community room and to house the Greater Madison Area Chamber of Commerce. 1988

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list.

Location. 44° 0.156′ N, 97° 6.871′ W. Marker is in Madison, South Dakota, in Lake County. It can be reached from South Egan Avenue west of Southwest 2nd Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 315 S Egan Ave, Madison SD 57042, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East River

and in Greater Sioux Falls.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern

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Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lake County Courthouse Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Memorial Creek Walls (approx. half a mile away); C. B. Kennedy (approx. half a mile away); Madison Memorial Park (approx. half a mile away); Madison State Normal School The Great War Honor Roll (approx. 0.7 miles away); Wm. H.H. Beadle (approx. 0.7 miles away); Thormodsgaard Log Home (approx. 2.7 miles away); Ash Grove Seventh-Day Adventist Church (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Here in April 1857 (was approx. 2.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . South Dakota SP Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Depot | National Archives Catalog. Excerpts from the National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet (1989):

"[T]he
January 4, 2026

2. Madison Depot & Markers, from the northeast
old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Depot is a surviving, nearly unaltered example of the early combination passenger and freight depots common in the state. Rising from a concrete foundation, the one-story rectangular brick building lies parallel to the railroad tracks and perpendicular to the street in the typical midwestern T-plan fashion as described by geographer John C. Hudson. The building is capped by a low-pitched gable roof over the freight handling bays and a tall hipped roof over the passenger depot area, with wide overhanging eaves supported by long decorative brackets on the south (track side), east, and north facades. Roof surfaces are covered with asphalt shingles. The west gable end is sheathed with wood clapboard siding. Two massive brick chimneys rise from the roof peak, each near opposite gable ends. The boarding area alongside the track is paved with red clay bricks."

"For over seventy years it served Madison as an important transportation facility, and during its earlier decades it was a vital hub for commercial and passenger activity for the city and its surrounding agricultural community.
January 4, 2026

3. Madison Depot, from the south
Its construction in 1906 also symbolizes the machinations frequently necessary in order for a community to secure favorable railroad service in a competitive market. Essentially unaltered, it is an excellent local example of vernacular combination depots erected by railroad companies around the turn of the century."

"[D]uring the summer Chautauqua season the station was crowded with people going from Madison to the Chautauqua grounds on nearby Lake Madison. Excursion trains from as far as 500 miles away also brought passengers in for the annual event, which lasted into the late 1930s."

"Currently, a local committee of concerned citizens has acquired ownership of the building and are raising funds for its restoration. Plans call for the depot to house the Chamber of Commerce and Madison Development offices as well as an area to display railroad memorabilia. This undertaking is the official 'lasting legacy' project for the city of Madison during the South Dakota Centennial (1989)."

(Submitted on January 27, 2026.)

Additional keywords. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Depot, Madison Station

Madison Depot, from the southwest image. Click for full size.

January 4, 2026

4. Madison Depot, from the southwest

Madison Depot, from the northwest image. Click for full size.

January 4, 2026

5. Madison Depot, from the northwest

Madison Depot Restoration Markers image. Click for full size.

January 4, 2026

6. Madison Depot Restoration Markers

"In recognition of Gene Phillips for his efforts in renovation of the Madison Depot."

"Madison Depot Preservation and Restoration
Board of Directors
1988 - 1990
Gene Phillips President
Ted Weiland Vice President
Wilson Kleibacker Secretary
Clark Sinclair Treasurer
Pete Gustaf Faye Kann
Leroy Knuths Ethelle Bean
Joe Habeger Harlan Foreman
Jeff Bloom
Architect Thomas H Stahl & Associates, Inc"

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2026. This page has been viewed 97 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 27, 2026.