Union Station depot was Henderson's main portal for decades
Union Station was Henderson’s front door for most of the 20th Century. And it was under threat of demolition toward the end of that period.
It was built by the Henderson firm of Bailey & Koerner, according to a Gleaner story of Dec. 17, 1922, which looked back over the building’s first two decades. I’m pretty sure that was the building’s first history published.
“The site of the present station when purchased was a depression which later was filled to the required depth. When it was dedicated and thrown open to the public on July 1, 1902, the three stations then in use were abandoned. The buildings were either utilized for other purposes by the various companies or the materials dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere.”
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It’s called Union Station because it was used by three different railroads. In fact, it was built for $25,000 by the L&N on land owned by the Illinois Central. More later about how that caused problems. Both were national railroads. The third line was a regional carrier commonly called The Henderson Route, but its formal name was the Louisville, St. Louis and Texas Railroad.
The Henderson Route had a depot at Third Street, the Illinois Central’s was at the end of Second Street, and the L&N’s was at Fourth and Adams. A Feb. 26, 1880, article in the Henderson Reporter described it as L&N’s “new” station, so apparently there was one that preceded it.
“In 1875 the new passenger depot was built. It is a handsome two-story frame containing five offices in (the) second story and two waiting rooms below, and cost $2,000.” It stood until it was torn down in 1931 to build the approach for the current bridge.
The bulk of Gleaner’s story from a century ago detailed the original workforce at Union Station. Three of them were still there 20 years later. L.W. Rogers was the original ticket agent and remained in that job until mid-January 1938.
And he worked practically every day of his more than 50-year career. “All employees of the Union Station work seven days a week. They don’t know anything about vacations with pay, such favors as are enjoyed by men engaged in other vocations.”
Union Station and the downtown were opposite poles of activity for Henderson during the depot’s heyday. Henderson’s first taxi service ran back and forth, according to The Gleaner of July 17, 1908. And its first bus service did the same in the spring of 1923.
Notable visitors came through the station on their way to make appearances – and sometimes spoke from a railroad car at the station. Three-time Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan came through April 28, 1911. Vice presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Oct. 2, 1920.
Two other presidents made whistlestop speeches there: Harry S. Truman appeared Sept. 30, 1948, for Henderson’s first visit by a sitting president. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower came Sept. 23, 1952, during his successful run for president.
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Numerous other celebrities got their first glimpse of Henderson from the platform at Union Station.
During times of war that platform was the scene of both tears and joy as service members shipped out and returned to jubilant homecomings. During World War II is also when it saw it greatest ridership. At the height of the war 28 passenger trains stopped at Union Station every day, according to a 29-page pamphlet about Union Station and Henderson railroad history written in 2008 by Netta Mullin.
Postwar prosperity – during which nearly everyone could afford a car – marked the beginning of the end of passenger train traffic locally. But the L&N had a positive outlook at first.
About 650 people gathered at Union Station Nov. 4, 1946, to check out the future of railroading, according to The Gleaner of the following day.
The L&N had one of its new locomotives, The Georgian, on display for two hours. It was a diesel-powered, streamlined behemoth that on Nov. 17 was going to be making a regular run between Atlanta and St. Louis pulling nothing but passenger coaches.
The trip was expected to take a little more than 11 hours with seven scheduled stops, including one in Henderson, because the train was scheduled to average about 75 mph.
Twelve years later the L&N was whistling a different tune. The Gleaner of Nov. 16, 1958, reported the railroad was closing its route between Evansville and Louisville on that date because of declining ridership. The same story said that as of 1958 automobiles were carrying 90 percent of intercity traffic.
Henderson retained the passenger route between Atlanta and St. Louis – but only for little more than another decade. The Gleaner of Oct. 1, 1969, reported on a hearing held in Evansville by the Interstate Commerce Commission about a request by the L&N to shut down the route.
About 15 people spoke in opposition to that idea but the hearing was not particularly successful to their stance because most of them said they rarely rode the train.
Only two passenger trains passed through Henderson at that time – one each way every day – and no local passengers boarded for weeks at a time.
The L&N continued its efforts to persuade local residents the route was a losing proposition. Keep in mind its package express service was lost to trucks in April 1968 and its U.S. Mail contract ended Nov. 29, 1969. The route was bleeding red ink.
The last passenger train stopped at Union Station April 30, 1971.
The building quickly deteriorated. City Codes Administrator Marvin Dill informed the L&N in 1976 that he would condemn the building unless improvements were made. The L&N said they would rather raze it.
Dill issued his condemnation order in March 1979. That’s when the Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society began its long crusade to save the building. Bumper stickers were printed, letters were written to get it on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Henderson City Commission asked the L&N for a reprieve.
The L&N delayed again and again. It offered to sell the building for $1 – but the land was owned by the Illinois Central -- which wanted $12,000. Coal executive John Dannheiser came to the rescue Nov. 25, 1980, by agreeing to pay the Illinois Central $10,000. He later donated the depot to the historical society.
The Gleaner’s editorial page proclaimed the depot saved. Well … maybe. The historical society raised money and did a lot of work over the years -- but it was just too big a job for the society’s meager resources.
In 1999 the city of Henderson was approved for a $300,000 federal grant to renovate the building – but by that time the renovation price tag had ballooned to $2 million. In 2004 the city diverted that money to build The Depot welcome center at First and Water streets.
In 2015 the city advertised for bids to either raze or renovate the building. Only one of the three bids aimed to save it. Michael Martin of Architectural Renovators LLC received title in December 2015 and the city sweetened the pot by adding $13,000. Martin renovated the exterior and stabilized the building during 2016-17.
Railmark Holdings Inc. announced July 1 it intends to use the building as its corporate headquarters and rail service center, according to a Gleaner story by Chuck Stinnett. Railmark President and CEO Allen Brown II also plans to bring it back to how it appeared in 1902.
75 YEARS AGO
The new Rollodrome roller skating rink opened Dec. 19, 1947, on Watson Lane, according to that day’s Gleaner.
The concrete block structure offered 5,400 square feet of maple flooring. The owners were John Fitzgerald, Covington “Cup” Overfield and John D. Byrne.
“In addition to skating, we will have music and entertainment every night,” Fitzgerald said.
Two of the roof trusses of the building have been incorporated into a bridge on the Riverwalk in Atkinson Park.
50 YEARS AGO
Gov. Wendell Ford came through on his promise of the previous year by announcing plans to build a southern bypass between U.S. 60 and what is now Interstate 69, according to The Gleaner of Dec. 22, 1972.
“For some time I have recognized the need for this facility and the intense community interest in it,” Ford said.
It took a while for the dream to come true, however. The southern bypass, formally known as Kentucky 425, opened to traffic in July 1985.
25 YEARS AGO
Two men robbed the Ohio Valley National Bank branch at 1720 Second St., according to The Gleaner of Dec. 17, 1997.
The Dec. 19 edition carried information about the identities of the two, which had been provided by an anonymous caller. They were Brian D. Berry, 36, of Henderson and William E. Boles, 46, of Evansville. Boles was arrested that same day.
Getaway driver Jeffrey Alan Debes, 29, Evansville, turned himself in, according to the Dec. 21 Gleaner. The Gleaner of Dec. 28 reported Berry had been arrested in Springdale, Arkansas.
The March 6, 1998, Gleaner reported all three men had been indicted on federal charges, and that the state charges were being dropped. Approximately $3,467 had been stolen in the armed robbery.
Readers of The Gleaner can reach Frank Boyett at YesNews42@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @BoyettFrank.
This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Union Station depot was Henderson's main portal for decades
