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The Burlington Depot


category : Railroad History
The Burlington Depot

Adams County, and Hastings in particular, are "children of
the railroads," having been founded and sustained by rail companies between
the 1870s and 1960s. Hastings owes is very existence to an intersection of two
railways, the Burlington and Missouri River and the St. Joseph and Denver City
lines. Although most of Hastings is built on former Union Pacific land, Adams
County has always been Burlington country.


Known as the Burlington and Missouri River (1871), the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy (1880), the Burlington Northern (1970) and the Burlington
- Santa Fe (1995), this railroad built its main line through the country, constructed
the most elaborate depot and had a division office here the longest. It was
the Burlington which brought the fabled Zephyr to Adams County, and on its road,
Nebraska's last commercial passenger trains, via Amtrak, continue to run. When
the Burlington Railway Depot was completed in 1902, Hastings was the third largest
railroad center in Nebraska. Designed by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball,
the station is an example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The building,
which welcomed presidents Taft, Truman and Eisenhower, is on the National
Register of Historic Places.



Come visit us in Hastings, Nebraska

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Crane Meadows Observatory

Crane Meadows Nature Center is a year-round educational organization dedicated to providing an understanding of, and access to, the ecosystems of the Platte River valley. Open daily, with expanded hours during the crane season (8 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Hastings, NE Recreation

The Stein Building

For more than 30 years after the turn of the century, the Stein Brothers Store provided quality merchandise from all over the world to south central Nebraska shoppers. Located at 620 West Second Street, the Stein building was easily identifiable by the unique lion'

Hastings, NE National Register


The Strand Theatre

Studded in bright lights, the Strand Theatre marquee heralded first-run showings of such movie classics as "From Here to Eternity" and "The sound of Music." For almost seventy years the Strand was the grand dame of motion picture entertainment in Hastings. The Strand'

Hastings, NE Theatres

The Burlington Depot

Adams County, and Hastings in particular, are "children of the railroads," having been founded and sustained by rail companies between the 1870s and 1960s. Hastings owes is very existence to an intersection of two

Hastings, NE Railroad History

Things to do Railroad History near Hastings, NE