Does anybody have any photographs of the Frisco depot, roundhouse, and or trains in Joplin, Missouri? Thanks Rich
Hi Frisco Folks! Here are the photographs I have came across for Joplin, MO. Take care, Rich Ship it on the Frisco! Edit 3/17/2024: Photographs 1, 3 and 4 are of the downtown central business core Frisco Station depot and office tower. It is located at 601 South Main Street, Joplin, MO 64801. This appears to be the third Frisco depot at this general location. It is by far the largest. The building was constructed for the Frisco in 1913. It featured depot facilities in the basement and first floor and an office tower above on floors 2 - 8. Floor plans of the basement and first floor deport portion of the building are available from the Springfield - Greene County Library. Please see the following link. https://thelibrary.org/lochist/frisco/depots/floorplans/MO.Joplin.pdf In the floor plan views note that north is at the bottom of the pages. This places the front of the building facing North Main Street on the right. East 6th Street is at the bottom of the page. The depot umbrella platform sheds and pairs of tracks stub end at the depot on the left of the plan views. This is the east side, considered the the rear or back of the building. In effect, the building's lower depot level is a walk out type basement. At the bottom of the plan in the basement, on the north wall note there are windows toward the rear. East 6th Street sloped down into a shallow creek valley where the tracks approach the building. Photographs 1 and 3 show the front or west side of the building. Photograph 4 shows the northwest corner, north and west facades, of the building looking to the southeast. Photograph 2 is the Frisco freight house, and after September 1, 1955, combined "new" passenger depot. It was located at 1015 South Main Street, Joplin, MO 64801. Note in this view the new passenger waiting room addition on the north side of the two story office section of the original freight house. View looking southeast. MKD
Joplin, MO depots. FM Edit 3/18/2024: The first photograph is the Frisco depot at 118 East 6th Street. This is the second depot at this location. It sat on the north side and very close to the end of the stub depot tracks that would also serve the new depot and office tower. This depot was located just east of the depot and office tower that would be constructed to the immediate west at the corner of South Main Street and East 6th Street. This depot shows on the 1906 Sanborn map, page 30. By 1896 this depot appears to have replaced an earlier, first noted depot on the site that is on the 1891 Sanborn maps. The earlier depot dates from at least 1884 according to the available Sanborn maps. View is looking west northwest. The second photograph is is looking down the depot platform tracks from the east end toward the third depot and office tower at 601 South Main Street. The small one story depot in the prior photograph was located on the far right near the depot and office tower. Note in the the second view of the rear of the depot and office tower the "L" shaped profile of the west and north wall sections. As was typical of buildings of this period where the upper stories have a relatively thin cross section. In the case the basement and lower stories have a square footprint. However, the upper stories are relatively thin in cross section. This had two advantages. First, it maximized natural light to the building interior. Second, the thin cross section allows for improved cross ventilation of the interior. This was an especially important feature in the days before central air conditioning was common. The thin profile permitted windows to be opened to allow air flow to naturally cool the interior spaces. The roadway overpass is South Pennsylvania Avenue. The viaduct was constructed over the depot tracks to help speed traffic flow, ease congestion and density on South Main Street. View is looking west. MKD
Here are some photographs of the the Frisco depot. Now it is called the "Frisco Station Apartments". Poster richcrab and I have other photographs of the building posted. The history is as follows. The Frisco Building was originally built as a railroad depot in 1913 and was Joplin’s first modern high-rise office building. It served as a depot until 1955. It set vacant for over 20 years, but is currently been restored as apartments. There is nothing left to even show that it was a station depot. I have included before and after photographs of the back of the depot. You can see in the 2nd photograph what little is left of the freight station under the bridge. I have also included photographs of the front of the depot and office tower. Very little has changed, except the absence of the sidewalk entrance overhang with Frisco Station on top. Check out more at this web site. http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/mariwinn1068327033 FM Edit 3/18/2024: Note in the the first view of the rear of the depot and office tower the "L" shaped profile of the west and north wall sections. As was typical of buildings of this period where the upper stories have a relatively thin cross section. In the case the basement and lower stories have a square footprint. However, the upper stories are relatively thin in cross section. This had two advantages. First, it maximized natural light to the building interior. Second, the thin cross section allows for improved cross ventilation of the interior. This was an especially important feature in the days before central air conditioning was common. The thin profile permitted windows to be opened to allow air flow to naturally cool the interior spaces. MKD
Note the photograph of the Frisco freight house, there appears to be a coonskin logo sign on the second floor. Former River Division employee Lee Chronister had a large, double-sided neon sign in his back yard for years, adjacent to the standard frame depot he had reassembled. After his death, Lee's son told me that it had come from Joplin. I suspect this is the one.
Frisco Station depot, roundhouse, and freight station 1906-1950 Sanborn maps. Edit 3/17/2024: The first image is the Frisco depot and office tower in the downtown central business core. It is located at 6o1 South Main Street, Joplin, MO 64801. The second image is of the passenger engine roundhouse that served the downtown depot. Frisco had another larger roundhouse west of South Main Street for freight engine servicing. The freight locomotive roundhouse sat in the area bounded by West 11th Street on the north, West 13th Street on the south, South Wall Avenue on the east and South Byers Avenue on the west. The third image is the Frisco freight house, and after September 1, 1955, the "new"" passenger depot. It was located at 1015 South Main Street. MKD
Microsoft Live map view of Joplin, MO Frisco Passenger Station and yard. Click the links below. Be patient while loading - it will take you there. If you do not have Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D loaded, it will ask you to do so. It should take you to the link, if not, re click on these link after you install it. View one matches the Sanborn map http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...021785239342&phscl=3.02778476920854&encType=1 View two matches the older photographs with the viaduct. http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...905933951361&phscl=3.84591782045353&encType=1
Joplin, MO. Frisco Station depot as restored. The downtown station in Joplin was a stub end depot. Trains had to back into the depot from the east. The first photograph is of the northwest corner of the depot and office tower. The shots of the platform area for the station are from the east end looking west toward the depot office tower. Outside of the station depot and general office building, there only few freight buildings, all non-Frisco, that remain in the area. See some of the pictures posted below to do a little compare and contrast. Photographs dated 2009.
