Earliest known photograph of the Depot
Photo from 1887, though the depot likely changed very little from its opening days. photo courtesy of the National Park Service
see more on the Depot's History Timeline
The Depot circa 1925
Looking north toward Monroe Street from the southwest corner of the Depot.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
First known photo of the North End of the Depot with second story
Photo from the 1930s.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
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1948 Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe. State Representative G. William Horsley portrayed Lincoln.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe. State Representative G. William Horsley portrayed Lincoln.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Friendship Train
On Lincoln's 139th birthday, hundreds of supporters came to the Depot to see off The Lincoln Friendship Train which carried food aid to citizens of World War II-ravished Western Europe. Illinois Governor Dwight Green, at podium, dedicated the Abraham Lincoln Friendship Train during the sendoff.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Photo from the 1950's
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
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1956 "Wide Wide World" TV Reenactment
On Lincoln's birthday, the Depot was the locale of a reenactment of his Farewell Speech for the television program "Wide Wide World." State Representative G. William Horsley of Springfield portrayed him while Floyd Barringer portrayed Judge Bollingreen, a mentor of Lincoln's during his formative New Salem years.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
1956 "Wide Wide World" TV Reenactment
On Lincoln's birthday, the Depot was the locale of a reenactment of his Farewell Speech for the television program "Wide Wide World."
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
Depot in late 1950's
Downtown Springfield's expansion was in full swing threatening historic sites including the Depot, back left corner of photo. The need for parking turned the remainder of the block into a parking lot, until the State Journal-Register built their headquarters to the west of the Depot.
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
Depot in early 1960's
Following the consolidation of the Wabash Railroad in Decatur, various businesses used the buildings as warehouse and storage space. During this time, the Depot fell into disrepair.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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The Depot in 1965
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
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The Depot in 1965
The west side of the Depot with the warehouse section seen on the right. The warehouse section represents the height of the Depot at its opening and during Lincoln's departure.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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The Depot in 1965
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
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The Depot in 1965
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
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Front Page December 3, 1968
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photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
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photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
The warehouse section on the right would be torn down following the fire.
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
The 1968 Depot Fire
The fire left few of the Depot's contents unscathed. Some parts of the structure which dated to Lincoln's era survived, however. Abraham Lincoln used these steps as he entered the Depot manager's office on his last day in Springfield. The steps have been preserved and are available for viewing in the visitor's center.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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The 1968 Depot Fire
photo courtesy of The State Journal-Register
read more on the Depot's History Timeline
The 1968 Depot Fire
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
read about the lucky doorknob on the Depot's History Timeline
Copley leases the Depot - 1977
Helen Copley, then head of Copley Press, was a champion of historic sites and felt a strong connection to the history of the State Journal-Register with Lincoln and the Depot. In 1977 the entire block, including the Depot, was leased by Copley to build the headquarters for the State Journal-Register.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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Depot circa 1987
After the collaboration with Sangamon State University ran its course, the State Journal-Register, in agreement with the National Park Service, again reopened the Depot for visitors until the fall of 2011. Amid deaths in the Copley family, the sale of all the Copley owned papers including The State Journal-Register, declining readership and advertising in newspapers everywhere; the Depot's new owners, GateHouse Media Inc., began actively looking for a buyer for the Depot in the winter of 2011.
photo courtesy of the National Park Service
read more on the Depot's History Timeline