Native Americans
Driving along the American Mile, advertising was comon place.
The billboards are from a collection of negatives of the Emporia Advertising Company in Emporia, Kansas.
These are some of the examples that graced our roads and highways.
In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad connected the East to the West. In 1969, we celebrated the 100 anniversary of the driving of the golden spike.
Union Pacific provided some of the items for the show. The photo above was taken south of Union Pacific Station by the Union Pacific freight shed. Photo taken by Marion Perrin.
How the various types of vehicles have gain the attention of the people with advertising.
Goodyear tire truck. Negative in publisher’s collection
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Railroads crossed the nation in all direction.
Railroads are one of the publisher’s favorite subjects. The photo above was a Rock Island Alco DL-109 coming from the curve after leaving the Union Station. Photographer was Merriam Perrin.
The video below, was taken in the 1930’s. Starting at Kansas City Union Station, it shows several communities along the route.
Kansas Railroads ran through almost every town in the state. Reason for it, that in the 1800’s, steam locomotives could only run for so far, before they had to replenish their water tank. Not only that, the railroads could sell off land at each water town. With the addition of people, it increased ridership on the railroad, and freight traffic to the towns.
We have lost so many miles of track to the advance highway system, only major rail lines still exist in Kansas. Two towns that remind me of the amount of rails in Kansas, are Valley Falls and Holton. Both towns were at one time being served by three railroads at the same time. Today, in 2023, neither town has a single rail line. Both towns lost two of their railroad in the 1930’s, during the depression. How many towns along these rail lines had suffered from the lack of a shipping point for grain and other necessities?
Wm. Wikkerink next to his KRIT car.
My grandfather, William (Bill) Wikkerink, was no stranger to automobiles. He and his partner ran a Citco gas station on the southwest corner of 10th and Tyler in Topeka, Kansas for many years.
Mildred Wikkerink (my mother) and Great Aunt Bertha Patterson on grandpa’s Whippet car in Willard, Ks., 1929.
The invention of the automobile, people fell in love with the independence of going where the road took them. Companies that manufacture carriages and buggies, conceded to add gasoline engines to them. One of the main problems, their weren’t many good maintenance roads to cruise on. Most were wagon paths. Only larger towns could afford to pave their street with bricks. Americans were not to be held up by bad roads, they still wanted to get-up-and-go. I can’t imagine how manufacture of cars there were before Henry Ford developed the assembly line process, to make cars affordable.
1871 Greenup, Illinois Depot
Railroads ran all over America, but the Rails are mostly gone, but not all their depots.
1871 Greenup, Illinois Depot
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The railroad depot at one time was the excitement of the town. With wanting to know who got off the train, got on and what new freight items came to town. Some depots had cafes or restaurants, and most were the only ones in town.
This 1871 station is long off the original site when it served the railroad (St. Louis, Vandalia Terre Haute Railroad), (and later crossed by the Peoria, Decatur and Evansville Railroad in 1881) currently sitting next to several other historical buildings, to include the “Trails End Theater”. Both railroads that served the depot, were later merged into the Pennsylvania RR and Illinois Central around the turn of the century. Several years back, they acquired an old Pennsylvania Railroad business passenger car. Due to problems with moving it, it wasn’t going to happen.
At this time, my friend Roger Anderson and his friend Tammy Beck, along with Jerry & Marsha Roll has maintained the various excellent displays and keeping the reputation of such a historical building, intact.
Greenup, Illinois is right on I-70, just a little east of Effingham, Illinois. Take a look at this historic depot and what it has to offer. Hours are daily: 10am to 2pm. Monday through Saturday. Hope to see you there.
Model train layout inside Greenup, Illinois Depot
Model train layout inside Greenup Depot
