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The Society plan is to restore part of the building as a period depot museum to be called "Hedges Station" in honor of John Hedges, first stationmaster. Other portions will be developed as a museum focusing on the Winfield area, while the basement, which is new construction, will serve as a meeting room for the historical society.
RESTORATION
Hedges Station is the oldest building in Winfield and the oldest remaining depot in the state of Illinois. It was built in 1849 when the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad came through the area.
In 1978 the Winfield Historical Society was formed to save Hedges Station. The depot was located on village property adjacent to the Village Hall and to the railroad track, and the village was interested in expanding the Village Hall and parking. The plan was to demolish the 1849 depot.
The historical society cobbled together a four-part agreement whereby 1) the village gave the building to the society with the understanding that it would be moved; 2) the Winfield Park District allowed the building to be moved to property that was to become park district property, with the provision that the building exterior would be kept in acceptable condition; 3) the developer of that property agreed that the building could be located on property destined for the park district; and 4) the building would not adversely affect the planned unit development and the property transfers involved.
The move of the depot took place in August of 1981. The Winfield Historical Society now has an agreement with the park district that states that the district owns the building, the society is responsible for its restoration, while the district takes care of the utilities and maintenance of the grounds.
We are completing the third phase at this time and are planning ahead to the opening of the museum.
In 2004 a platform and track was built on the south side of the building to replicate the track in the building’s original location.
The track used in 1849 was called “strap-rail track” and was used because iron was hard to get in sufficient quantities for the railroads. It consisted of rails made of lumber with a strap or narrow length of iron on top of it. This track was not used for long because the strap had a tendency to “snakehead,” or pop up into the train cars after some use. It was gradually replaced with the solid iron rails.
This rail was the type used in this location at the time this building was used as a depot, 1849-1854, so it is appropriate to this restoration.
While actually track could not be found for this exhibit, there is a very detailed drawing of it in a book published by the Northwestern Historical Society in 1910, Yesterday and To=Day, A History of the Chicago & North Western Railway System,which was used in the re-creation of this length of track. The Winfield Historical Society is grateful for the assistance in researching this project that was received from the Northwestern Historical Society, the Railroad Museum at Union, IL, the West Chicago Historical Society, and the Smithsonian Institute Transportation Museum of Washington, D.C.
This is the only example of strap-rail track in the midwest. We actually know of only one other exhibit of strap-rail track in the United States, which is in Pennsylvania.
Phase four will include buying the necessary accessories for the depot, developing exhibits, organizing an office, and developing the grounds (water well and housing, outhouse).
INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT THE RESTORATION:
To replace walls that were removed it was necessary to salvage old lumber from mid-1800 barns and homes that were being torn down. It then had to be cleaned so that it could be used. The walls are actually done in tongue and groove flooring.
When we ran out of the salvaged lumber we purchased some old lumber from a mill in Pennsylvania that re-milled it to the proper size. At least it didn't have to be cleaned!
Under the lath and plaster that was added in the 1870's or 1880's, we found a poster written in German advertising train trips to Minnesota and Wisconsin to buy farm land. We had it framed and it is hung in the depot along with a translation.
We found a Joe Dimaggio baseball card in the walls of the building!
Our plans have evolved as the restoration has taken place. We look at the evidence and try to figure out what the building actually looked like. As one of our advisors told us, "There is no taste involved!"
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www.winfieldhistory.com/hedges.html