Wayne Depot (Wayne, Illinois)

 interesting place, 1850s construction, historic building, train depot

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The Galena and Chicago Union Railway, a forerunner of the Chicago & North Western (C&NW), completed a rail line through Wayne in 1849. Union Pacific merged with the C&NW in 1995. The depot was erected next to the Galena & Chicago Union Railway in Wayne center in 1850. By 1956, it no longer was in use, and was moved to the Dunham Castle. The Wayne Historical Preservation Society moved it back to the original site in October 2007.

In 1850, Wayne resident Edward Brewster donated land for what was then the Galena & Chicago Union Railway. Mr. Brewster allegedly offered the railroad a proposition: He could "contribute" both land and wood if he and his family were allowed to ride free for the rest of his life. His proposition was accepted, and the canny pioneer lived well past his 90th birhday. A story circulated that when he arrived to pick up his annual pass, he was met with a rueful grin and greeting "Yes, Father Brewster, we agreed to carry you as long as you live, but we did not expect you to live so long."

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