Sac City Chicago and North Western Depot

The Chicago and North Western Railroad (C&NW) built this historic depot in 1916. As the only remaining depot in Sac City, it represents the important role railroads played in the development of the city. It was designed in the C&NW's Number One plan for train stations. Today, the depot appears to be unused but it did house a restaurant called The Depot Restaurant for many years and, more recently, a retail store. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Sac City was established in 1855 and from the outset residents started to promote the idea of attracting railroads to the new town. In 1859, residents voted on a measure that would have deeded $25,000 worth of swampland to help a railroad company build a line to the town. The vote failed since residents did not want to provide funds for a railroad without owning any stock in the railroad. As a result, the first railroad, the Maple River Railroad, didn't arrive in the county until 1877. However, it did not go to Sac City but to the town of Wall Lake instead. To finally bring a railroad to Sac City, the Sac City & Wall Lake Railroad was established and built a line between the two towns in 1878.

The C&NW acquired the the line in 1884 and built a small two-story depot at the corner of 13th and Early Streets. The railroad boosted Sac City's economic development in the early 1880s and the population grew from 595 to 1200. The business district in fact grew near the depot and it included stock yards, a lumber yard, a hotel, and other businesses. The depot was used until 1916 when the present one was built a block to the south. It was used for both passenger and freight service. Its peak usage saw eight trains per day.

Passenger service ended in 1948 but freight service continued until 1971. The Depot Restaurant opened in 1976 and closed in 2012. The next owners rehabilitated the depot and opened a retail store in 2014. However, the store appears to have closed since then.

Perry, Bruce. "Sac City Chicago and North Western Depot." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 26, 2016. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/d9cdbcd2-54f8-4b69-abd8-f56107f7e221.