April 13, 2012
In northwestern Illinois, an intercity train station serving Amtrak (the national passenger railroad company in the United States) in the city of Kewanee was officially opened. This depot replaced a small brick shelter that had been built there in 1986.
The current version of Kewanee station, which was designed by the Peoria-based Farnsworth Group, has a sloping roof and also a large wall of glass. Another one of the facility’s key features is a giant neon sign spelling out “KEWANEE” and on prominent display in the passenger waiting room. The two Amtrak passenger trains that make regular stops at Kewanee station are the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg.
The large number of dignitaries attending the dedication ceremony for the present-day Kewanee station included Ann Schneider, secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation; Bruce Tossell, mayor of Kewanee; and Thomas Carper, chairperson of the Amtrak Board of Directors. Those three individuals were among the attendees who traveled to Keewanee station that day via the Illinois Zephyr.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on Kewanee station, please check out https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/kewanee-il-kee/
Transportation History 
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