Does anyone know of a floor plan and elevation drawing for the Cuba depot? I would like to bash one in large scale, and a bit more than the photographs could go a long way to get it closer. Thanks, Dan
Caption on this reads "Steelville people arriving at Cuba for the Crawford County Fair, September 27, 1907"
What a remarkably different culture than today; the people are really dressed up to go to the fair as opposed to the slouchy, n'ere-do-well look of today! Thanks for posting the great picture, Don!
And, before that, they dressed up to ride the stagecoach. And, after that, they dressed up to ride the airplanes, and, now? What the heck happened? Bet you would have to look hard and wide to find any tattoos in that crowd!
Bear with me on this. I am still doing my research through a book that I own entitled Crawford County and Cuba Missouri written by local historian James Ira Breuer, now deceased, in the 1970s. Somewhere in his book, it states that this is the second depot in Cuba, the first one having been built prior to the Civil War. It was allegedly removed when this much larger structure was built, and moved to a private residence within town where it was still serving as a chicken coop when Breuer wrote his book.
On the walls of several buildings in Cuba are a series of murals depicting Cuba history. One mural depicts a Civil War scene in Cuba, and the railroad depot is depicted in flames. If the mural is accurate, we know what happened to the ante bellum depot.
That could be. Confederate General Sterling Price and his troops made a raid in Cuba in 1864, and destroyed rolling stock and track in town during the raid. So it makes sense that the very first depot could have been burned as well. But Breuer's book does state that an earlier station was moved, was still intact and used as a chicken coop as recent as the mid 1970s. It may also have served as a residential structure. I did most of my area research in 2003, so I am just winging this from memory. I have the book at home, so I will thumb through it and see if my memory serves me correctly. It will give me something to do tonight when my wife is watching Lifetime.
James Breuer's book Crawford County and Cuba Missouri states on page 401 that the first depot in Cuba was built in 1860 on the north side of the tracks in front of the Grand Hotel. During that time, according to his book, there was East Cuba, Midway, and West Cuba. This depot was considered to be in West Cuba. The book goes on to state that the 1860 depot was sold to J. H. Dunkleburg "who moved it to the lot at Bond and Monroe streets where it was used for many years as a chicken house". Contradicting himself and leaving the reader guessing, he also states on page 225 that the Cuba depot was burned in September 1864 by Confederate troops led by Generals Price and Marmaduke. I suppose that there could have been two separate depots, possibly one for freight, the other for passengers, or the fire did not completely destroy it.
I an afraid that I missed seeing the depot, but I do remember seeing one of Don's locomotives on display. Stumbled across Tinkertown while taking the long way to dinner at Schneithorst's. That is the day that I swore off diesels.
Just like I remember it, old Brown the agent used to say "Cuba" in a voice that everyone could remember. He had a divider and door where you had to get what you wanted in the waiting room. No walking into his space, to look at the orders he ran it like the old days.
Picture is of Cuba Depot. The train arriving from the curve is from the Frisco Salem Branch. Attached are the following. 1. Cuba photograph board; pictures depot and rolling stock. 2. Birds Eye view; 56641409_10216745297439095_4494979902885330944_n (1).jpg 3. CUBAfrisco.jpg Photograph of what was first posted 3rd upward.