History of the Panora Depot

Guthrie County Historical Village

The original "narrow gauge" depot was built in Panora in 1884 at a size of 83 feet by 20 feet. This structure sat in the north end of town and was destroyed prior to 1902. A new depot was constructed; its size was 54 feet by 20 feet and also included covered area with columns. In 1906, a 31-foot addition was built on to the main structure. This is the present depot at the Historical Village minus the covered area with columns.

The original "narrow gauge" railroad was owned by Fredrick M. Hubbell of Des Moines and ran under the name of "Des Moines and Northwestern Railroad." It was the longest stretch of narrow gauge in the state of Iowa -- running from Des Moines, through Panora, to Fonda, Iowa totaling 113.8 miles.

Later, the railroad became part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P RR). The locals called this branch the "cheapest, meanest and slowest to pay and promote." The route of the old track is now the Raccoon River Valley Recreational Trail.

It's important to remember just how important trains and depots were to a community. Many communities in Guthrie County that were not located along the railroad eventually died - Dale (Dale City), Dalmanutha, and Wichita are a few examples. Salesmen, tourist, and travelers of all kinds used the trains for transportation. The depot was also a gathering place for watching those who came and went. In the early days, arriving passengers were often greeted by local residents with teams and buggies for hire.

When the Guthrie County High School was in operation, many students commuted from all over the county by rail, if not by horse. Through the week, they stayed in homes or boarding houses and traveled home only on the weekends. At one time, there were six hotels in Panora.

The depot's east room is the lady's waiting room while the men occupied the center room. The far west room was the baggage and freight room. The depot agent's office was the center room where the telegraph key operated constantly. All messages requiring speedy delivery were sent by telegraph. There was a charge for each word transmitted so messages were reduced to a minimum.

On the outside of the Panora Depot is a signaling semaphore. This allowed the station agent to signal the train. Keep in mind there were no telephones, cell phones, or radios to do this. The signaling semaphore had three different positions - proceed, slow down, and stop. Each was signaled by a different color on the semaphore.

Written messages were passed from the ground to the moving train by using the "Y"-shaped stick which the conductor caught as the train passed the depot. Other signals used by trains and railroads were flashing lights, a sound alarm and a stop sign which warned motorists of an approaching.

GCHV:  phone 641.755.2989  |  email gchv@netins.net  |  206 W South St—Panora, IA  50216