Illinois Central Depot / Fitchburg

Illinois Central Depot, also, Fitchburg. . Illinois Central Depot side, On this site a two-story railroad depot stood from 1888 to 1939. The depot served the Illinois Central Railroad, which provided passenger and freight service to Fitchburg on its route from Freeport, Illinois to Madison. The depot had a ticket office, waiting room, freight room and living quarters for the agent's family., By 1922, four passenger and four freight trains passed through here daily. A small platform stood nearby for the loading of milk. The last Illinois Central freight train passed through in 1981, but other railroads operated the line until the early 1990s when the track was abandoned and eventually removed. The rail bed is now part of the Badger State Bike Trail., Fitchburg side, The Settlement of Fitchburg developed along this road after the completion of the Illinois Central rail line from Freeport, Illinois to downtown Madison in 1887., Through the early 1900s the growing community consisted of the railroad depot, a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, implement dealership, two implement repair garages, feed mill, lumber mill, lumber and coal yards, stockyards, cheese factory and a railroad milk stop. Along with businesses were several homes, including the residence of the Illinois Central section master, a small church and a nearby one-room school. A dance hall was located in the basement of the general store where local people gathered for parties.