Madison station (South Dakota)

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot was built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (also known as The Milwaukee Road) in 1906. It is located at the south end of the business district in Madison, South Dakota. The building is a rectangular single-story brick structure. It housed men's and women's waiting rooms, a lunch room ("beanery"), station agent's office, and a freight room. Rather than being a wood-frame building, as was usual for smaller, rural stations, the depot at Madison was built of brick.

Madison
Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station
Looking northwest towards a sign between the tracks in front of the former Madison Milwaukee Road station.
General information
Location315 South Egan Avenue, Madison, South Dakota 57042
History
Opened1881
Closed1953
Rebuilt1906
Services
Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station
Junius Wessington Springs – La Crosse Wentworth
towards La Crosse
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot
Madison station (South Dakota) is located in South Dakota
Madison station (South Dakota)
Location315 S. Egan Ave
Madison, South Dakota
Coordinates44°00′09″N 97°06′53″W / 44.00250°N 97.11472°W / 44.00250; -97.11472
Built1906
NRHP reference No.89001719
Added to NRHPSeptember 19, 1989

The Milwaukee Road first entered Madison in the 1881. In 1906 it built the new depot. It functioned as a passenger station until 1953. The building was still used by the railroad as offices and a freight agency. In 1979, before The Milwaukee Road went bankrupt, the depot was closed. After the bankruptcy, the BNSF Railway bought the property and the rail line. It continued to use the depot for freight and storage until 1981. BNSF then closed the depot for good. In 1989, the depot was bought by local citizens who then turned it over to the local Chamber of Commerce for use as its new office.

The depot was listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its architecture and also because of its association with the development of Madison.

References

edit
  • Weiland, Ted, and John Rau. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Depot at Madison National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, National Park Service, Washington, DC, 1989.