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Union Depot

N. Main St., Joplin, MO
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The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway (Katy) Train No. 83 was the first arrival at the Joplin Union Depot when it opened on June 30, 1911. The last train to leave the depot was the KCS Southern Belle on November of 1969. Over the years the depot served the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad, the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS), the Santa Fe, and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT) among others. The Frisco Railroad also had a combined freight and passenger depot in Joplin at the time and later built a separate new passenger depot.

A central two story section is flanked on the north and south sides by one story sections. The two story center section housed the passenger lobby and ticketing office on the ground floor and offices on the second floor. The one story south wing held a restaurant, dining room and kitchen. The one story north wing held the baggage and freight operations. A covered walk took passengers the loading platform.

The depot is located on the 1950s alignment of Route 66 off Main St. between "A" & "B" Streets. In the fall of 2013 a grant was received to help restore the depot. Hopefully it will be restored, but it is unclear what the renovated use of the depot would be.

It was placed on the Nation Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Photo(s): 2013