Trains and Depots
We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma. Can you help?
Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"? What do YOU remember?
The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories. We also have the
equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!
We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact:
Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com
208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL 62530; (217) 625-7527
or
Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com
408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731
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ALMA
(TD-10) Depot in Alma, Illinois
(TD-11) Close up of the Depot in Alma, Illinois
(TD-12) Waiting at the depot in Alma: John S. Ford, Chester Ford, Ross Day, and LaVerne “Hody” Winks
(T-4) Illinois Central Railroad Freight - Alma, Illinois
(TD-30) Sylvia (Braden) Hester at the Alma depot
BRUBAKER
(TD-20) Brubaker Depot
KINMUNDY
(TD-1a) Illinois Central Railroad Station – Kinmundy, Illinois
(This is looking east from 3rd St. close to tracks. You can see Squire’s House in background.)
(TD-4) Illinois Central Depot & Water Tower – Kinmundy, Illinois (Looking southeast from RR crossing on 3rd St.)
(TD-33) C. & E.I. [Chicago & Eastern Illinois] Railroad Depot & motor car - Kinmundy, Illinois - taken 1898
(TD-41b) A Train at the Kinmundy Depot
(TD-35) Illinois Central Railroad Depot – Kinmundy, Illinois (completed on 26 Sept 1856). Looking southeast.
(TD-36) Illinois Central Railroad Depot – Kinmundy, Illinois (looking northeast)
(T-40a) C & E.I. Crew - Kinmundy - Art Brimberry on far right
(T-41b) Illinois Central Railroad Crew
Back row: Charlie Coatney, ________________, _______ Shanafelt, _______________, Bob Gray
Front row: Alf Lemay, Gene Keen, Durb Boughers, Avery Boughers, Art Brimberry
(TD-40) Tom Sager with a baggage cart at the Kinmundy Depot
(TD-13) A group of Alma women on their way to Chicago to perform in a music contest. This is probably the depot in Kinmundy.
(TD-14) Group of Alma at the local depot - probably in Kinmundy.
(TD-39) Fulfer, Emerson, Jones at the Kinmundy Depot
(T-2) C. & E.I. Railroad Tressel - Kinmundy, Illinois (looking east before Rt. 37 is paved road)
(TD-20) Illinois Central Arch north of Kinmundy, Illinois
(T-1) Illinois Central R.R. first fast mail trip into Kinmundy, Illinois (July 11, 1890)
(T-3) “Midnight Express” Train by Moon Light – Kinmundy, Illinois
(TS-1) Kinmundy, Illinois Switch Tower (where I.C. & E. Railroads cross) also known as K.J. tower
(TS-2) Charlie Gammon at the old Switch tower where he planted Cosmos flowers. He worked in the tower for many years.
(TS-4) Charles Gammon - Switch Tower operator
(TD-3) Loading corn for market onto the Illinois Central at Kinmundy or Alma.
(TD-2) Loading a Circus car at the Kinmundy Depot on flat car of train.
(T-40) Fred Dunlap's last trip on May 31, 1941 - Illinois Central Railroad. (Fred is seated in the cab) He had started his first job on Feb. 11, 1899.
(TT-7) Construction of old Kinmundy Water tower along Route 37
(TT-1) Old Kinmundy Water Tower (TT-2) Old Kinmundy Water Tower leaking water
(south of town on State Route 37) taken in 1970’s Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) winter taken in 1970’s
(TT-3) Water Tower (south of town on State Route 37) winter taken in 1970’s (TT-2)
(TT-4) Water Tower in Kinmundy
(TT-21 The renovated Kinmundy Water Tower (photo taken in 2009)
(TT-22) Renovated Kinmundy Water Tower plaque
The Kinmundy Train Wreck of Jan. 22, 1912:
(TW-6)
(TW-3) Train wreck – 1912.
“Early morning view of I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill __ __ _ cross above indicated spot where HARAHAM was taken from wreck view shows position of engine
after being pulled from under roof of special car”.
(TW-1) Train wreck – 1912
[Bottom view of Private car – copyright applied for Photo by Chas L. WILLIAM]. Private car is laying on side on flat car.
(TW-2) Train wreck – 1912 [“Early morning view of I.C. R.R. wreck at Kinmundy, ILL. Jan. 22, 1912 at 12:30. The cross marks ‘the spot’ where
HARAHAM’s body was located. Photo by Chas. L. WILLIAMS (copyright applied for). No. 1 where E.E. WRIGHT’s body found.
No. 2 where F.O. MELCHER body found. No. 3 where E.R. PRICES body found”. The private car was like a small house.
The individuals in the car were all high ranking officials for I.C. Railroad.
(TW-5) Train wreck – 1912 - “I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill. at 12:30 A.M. Jan. 22, 1912. (copyright applied for Photo by C.L. WILLIAMS”]
on back – 1 car on the train bed (railroad) a private car for officials. (several killed) This train was stopped another train ran into rear-end.
The President of the Illinois Central was killed in this crash along with other railroad officials in the rear car. January 22, 1912.
(TW-4) Train wreck – 1912 [“I.C. wreck at Kinmundy, Ill. Jan. 22, at 12:30 A.M. 1912”]
“The Kinmundy Express” - January 25, 1912:
"Four Railroad Officials Killed at Kinmundy.
One I.C. and three Rock Island Men crushed to Death While Asleep in Rock Island Private Car. Four Men in the Car Escape Uninjured.
The most Disastrous Collision in History, Considering the Prominence of those killed - Three R.R. Men Hurt"
Last Saturday evening, about 5 o’clock a party of railroad officials left Chicago in a Rock Island private car hitched to the rear end of the south bound Illinois Central train No. 25. The party were enroute to Memphis on business of interest to the Rock Island Company. The evening in this car was spent in a social way till about 10:45, when all the party, except the Negro porter, retired. This train No. 25 is followed by another fast train No. 3, and the difference between their schedule time is only about 30 minutes at this place. Sunday night No. 25 arrived at Kinmundy about 30 minutes late and were on _____ time of the second train. The first train stopped for water at the _______ north of the depot and there they were standing - passengers nearly all asleep and perhaps some of them dreaming of the sunshine south for which they were enroute - this private car was ploughed into by the engine on train No. 3, and the standing train shoved toward a distance of 170 feet. The crash of the collision and the jar was felt and heard for several blocks. Two men, _____ B. RUSHING of Plainview, Tex., and Isaac KOPF, who were stopping at Dad’s Hotel, were just preparing to retire, heard the crash and hastened to the scene and seeing the collision of the affair, and the immediate need for help, sounded the bell. In a few minutes, help had arrived and rescue work had begun. Four of the escaped from the wrecked car without injury - 2 white men and two colored - the last two being the _____ and the porter. The white men, Byron V. CURRY, secretary to the 2nd Vice President of the _______ of Chicago, and Hon. T.S. BUZBEE, Rock Island, ____ for the states of Louisiana and Arkansas with headquarters in Little Rock. These men escaped within a few inches as this huge _____ spent its force and stopped a few inches from where they were both sleeping. These called to their comrades, but _____ came, and the escaping _____ was almost suffocating and ______ the true and terrible condition of 4 members of their party, they found the front door of their crushed car and escaped in their night clothes. Kinmundy citizens soon arrived and the relief and rescue work was began. The engine on the rear train, going about 30 miles an hour, had crushed into the back end of this private car. The 2 outside walls remained in tact and were standing on each side of the boiler where they remained until a pull was made by the engine in trying to pull the wrecked car off No. 3's engine, when one of the two dead men fell from the wreckage to the ground. The roof was covering the engine, but the interior of the car was a mass of bodies, bedding, clothing, and other contents of the car. The railroad men and home people went inside and commenced the search for the dead. One by one the dead officials were removed from the debris. The dead men were: J.T. HARAHAN of Chicago, ex-president of the Illinois Central; F.O. MELCHER, 2nd Vice President of the Rock Island Headquarters at Chicago; Judge E.E. PIERCE of Memphis, the Rock Island, headquarters at Chicago; Judge E.E. PEIRCE of Memphis, the Rock Island Attorney fro the State of Tennessee; E.B. PEARCE, of Chicago, General Solicitor for the Rock Island. Those injured in the crash were: R.J. STEWART, engineer on No. 3, thumb broken, head and face cut and bruised; C.M. VERT, fireman on No. 3, cut on head and ankle broken or dislocated; Jesse GILBERT, fireman on No. 25, was thrown from the top of the tender to the ground and had one hip badly wrenched and otherwise badly bruised. The three wounded men were taken to the waiting room at the depot, where they were given surgical attention by Doctors CAMERER and SONGER. They were taken to the hospital at Champaign on No. 10 a few hours after the wreck. The four dead officials were taken to the undertaking rooms of W.W. NEIL and J.H. NELMS, where they remained till after the arrival of the coroner. The news of the terrible disaster was soon spread over the United States over the telegraph and telephone wires, and the news of the disaster was being heralded over many of the large cities before some of the Kinmundy people knew of it. How such a terrible disaster could occur and not kill and cripple more people is a miracle. One good feature of the unfortunate affair is that the wreckage did not take fire, although it was expected that it would be ablaze every minute. To avoid such a fearful thing the engineer pulled the fire in his engine and every precaution was taken to prevent the burning of the ruins. This wreck adds a page in history of one of the most disastrous railroad collisions that ever occurred. Never before were so many prominent men killed at one time. The Illinois Central wreck train arrived from Centralia a few hours later and the work removing the debris was commenced and the men worked unceasingly until their task was completed, which was some time late Monday night. The Company started a special train from Centralia in charge of General Manager FOLEY, and the special arrived here about half past six. The word was then given out that the three dead officials from Chicago would be taken home on this special, and the body of the Memphis man would leave on train No. 5 at 9 a.m. Deputy Coroner Grant FEATHERING came up from Centralia on the special train and empaneled the following jury: H.O. MEYER, merchant; Richard WATTS, deputy sheriff of the City Court, Clyde STEEN, reporter on the Sentinel, all of Centralia, Geo. W. WHITE, T.M. SMITH and Fred O. GRISSOM, of Kinmundy. The jury, after being sworn in, retired to the Private Car of Mr. FOLEY, where the evidence of T.S. BUZBEE, B.V. CURRY and Isaac KUPF was heard, after which the jury adjourned to re-convene at the Coroner’s office in Centralia at ten o’clock the same morning. After arriving in Centralia the evidence of John H. BRAINARD, the conductor of No. 25 was heard. He testified that No. 3 had to be flagged at Effingham and upon leaving that place, he instructed his flagman to look out for No. 3 at Kinmundy as they were going to stop for water. He said he was standing in the baggage car door when his train stopped and his flagman was then out flagging No. 3 and the engineer recognized the flag with 2 blasts of the whistle. He jumped from the train to the ground before the fatal crash and escaped unhurt. BRAINARD testified the crew on No. 3 certainly knew they were following close to No. 25 as they were out of Effingham 10 minutes apart. The flagman on No. 25, Harry J. BROEKER, was the next witnessed examined. His testimony was about the same as his conductors, and he said he obeyed his orders about flagging No. 3 and he jumped from his train while it was in motion to do the work. He run north some distance swinging the stop signal and he says the engineer answered the signal by 2 blasts of the whistle. He says after alighting he ran as fast as he could till he met the approaching engine which was very close when he first left his train. The other witnesses being sent to Champaign, the jury adjourned until 10 a.m., Friday the 26th, to hear the remainder of the testimony. The Railroad Company, The Railroad and Warehouse Commission, and the public commenced an investigation at Champaign on Tuesday to see to where and to whom lies the blame of this terrible affair. At this time it is impossible to say who is to blame but one thing is certain, the schedule time of these two trains is too close for the safety of the passengers. The I.C. officials ran a special train from Champaign Tuesday night, which followed No. 25 from Edgewood to this city, No. 25 arrived here 8 minutes ahead of the Special Train and the torpedoes, whistling, etc. caused considerable uneasiness among many of our citizens who were aroused by the commotion. It was a test run, but what they were trying to test no one seems to know.