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The Iron Horse exploded onto the wild prairie in 1883 creating a town from dust in just weeks. Railroad speculators purchased ground for the train expansion and established towns to service the trains every seven to ten miles,

The standing depot is not the original. The original consisted of a freight house attached to an office and waiting rooms heated by a large coal stove. It was a dilapidated structure that had not kept up with the growth and improvement of the town. A patchwork of poor conditions, cylinders had been placed around the building to serve as a platform. Inside, plaster fell off walls and ceilings.  It was an embarrassment to one of the most profitable stops along the line, but the railway was focused on the movement of goods and not luxury for passengers. 

On February 16, 1924, combustion of the coal storage used for heating the waiting areas started a fire that nearly engulfed the east end of the freight house. The fire was extensive before the alert was sounded and the fire department reportedly had delays with rough streets and long hose couplings. The depot was a total loss. 

 A new depot was promised but after extensive delays, a temporary depot was hauled in. It was during this time that the C. S. M. & O. Railroad was in the process of consolidating into the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. New plans were not approved until the consolidation was complete. Once approved, the contract was awarded to R. H. Wessel of St. Paul, Minnesota. The contract was awarded on October 12, 1924. Within days, the foundations were being dug and the first bricks were in place.   

The current depot opened in January of 1925. It had a large waiting area, a resting area for ladies, a smoking room for the men, modern toilet facilities and an area for the telegraph operator. 

The final train passed through Hartington in July of 1973. The depot is currently owned as a storage facility by RaDec Construction


Hartington Depot

Horse, Rolling stock, Mode of transport, Railway

Inside the Hartington Depot

Chair, Suit, Snapshot, Classic

Waiting for the train

Outside the Depot

   The President of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad, Mr. Whitten, named the soon to be town “Hartington” after Lord Hartington, the Marquess and eighth Duke of Devonshire, who was a statesman from England and had recently visited the United States.

If there was speculation as to why no one noticed the fire until the building was engulfed in flames or why the fire department had such trouble that day, no one seemed to mention it. This speculation was put to rest when on the 25th anniversary of station master E. R. Moran, he revealed “The water supply failed, intentionally …the firemen wondered why the hose was just dribbling a dobby stream of water…and so the fire did a fine job of burning up the old shack and we got a new depot which is what we wanted really badly.” Cedar County News January 1, 1931

The Hartington Depot and he depot at Tekamah, Nebraska shared the same architectural design.

 An enlisted man, Carl M. Lange, became the most decorated soldier from Nebraska. He was a clerk at the railroad depot prior to his service. His medals are on display at the Cedar County Historical Museum. 

Evern notice how wide Broadway street is compared to the remaining streets? This is because of the railroad. Streets terminating in a railroad were typically 100 feet wide in wester towns. This was so people could angle-park a team and wagon on each side and still allow for all the traffic and cattle to move through town to the railway depot. Secondary streets were commonly 66 feet wide because that was the length of a surveyor’s chain

"25th Anniversary of Station Master E. R. Moran." Cedar County News (Hartington) January 1st, 1931.

Hartington History Book Committee. Hartington 140 Years. Hartington, Ne. Cedar County News, 68739.

Research based on History 19th century Western town layout, Accessed December 24th, 2023. History 19th century Western town layout: myth vs reality | Cyburbia | urban planning, placemaking, and more..

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Cedar County Historical Society

Cedar County Historical Society

Cedar County Historical Society