Knox Nickel Plate Depot (Knox, Indiana)

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www.starkehistory.com/

The Nickel Plate Depot was established in Knox in 1882 when the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad was built through the county. It was used as a passenger station until 1965 and as a freight station until 1984.

When the depot was no longer needed as a maintenance building for RR crews in 1992, it was sold to the Starke County Historical Society. Because the RR would not let the Society restore the depot at their location, the depot was moved north 1/2 mile to the site of the abandoned New York Central RR tracks, now called Gateway.

It is the only remaining depot in the county, although the Hoosier Valley RR Museum in North Judson has constructed a new "old" depot at their complex.

The Gateway area contains approximately three acres just south of the Yellow River Bridge on US Highway 35 at the north edge of Knox. It is adjacent to the city park and has a walking trail (3/4 mile) from the depot, under US Highway 35 near the Yellow River dam, through the park to the 1915 Rochester Pony Truss Bridge (the only one left in Indiana).

The Starke County Tourism Commission and the Starke County Chamber of Commerce now have offices in the restored Knox Nickel Plate Depot.