History |
River Station
Originally Rock Island Depot & Freight House
212 Water St.
Submitted By Vivere Research
Peoria's first train entered town in
November 1854, and for many years, Peoria was the fourth largest regional
hub in the U.S. railway system. At its largest, Peoria served 15 railroads
and 70,000 miles of track. In 1891, the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad
built the Rock Island Depot, and a freight house was added in 1899. The
large clock tower attached to the building was razed in 1939 because it was
declared unsafe. One train, the "Peoria Rocket," served Peoria for 42 years
before making its final run on May 29, 1978, when passenger service to
Chicago ended.
Ownership of the Rock Island Depot then went to the City of
Peoria, who used the building for its Community Workshop and Training
Center. This Neo-Classical building was added to the National Register of
Historic Places as "The Rock Island Depot & Freight House" on December 22,
1978. Reminiscent of the old railroad days, Peoria attempted to revive a
Peoria-Chicago run, which lasted about one year between August 1980 and
October 1981. After restoring the building, the River Station restaurant
opened in 1981 within the former depot and closed in 2000. The Rock Island
Depot is now known as the River Station, which houses Martini's on Water
Street, a martini bar.