Historic benches return to Mattoon railroad depot

MATTOON — Barb Daily doesn't have to sit on her luggage anymore in the Illinois Central Railroad Depot.

The old wooden benches are back in the passenger lobby, making the interior renovation complete for the historic passenger area of the depot and Amtrak station. The benches had been gone for nearly two years for refinishing and repairs, forcing train passengers to find alternative seating while they waited for Amtrak arrivals.

"I think I sat on my luggage," said Daily with a laugh as she pointed to a red bag while waiting with her sister, Pat Uphoff, for a northbound train to Chicago. "I like the benches. I just hope they don't mark them again."

The tall wooden benches were victimized repeatedly by graffiti artists over the years. As the date approached for restoring the old depot, which opened for service in 1918 for Illinois Central Railroad passenger trains, the Coles County Historical Society arranged to have the benches removed for refinishing to gain a fresher look with the help of an area contractor.

"We wanted to restore them as closely as they were before without the markings. There was sanding and refinishing. Some marks are still there," said Jackie Record, who chaired the depot restoration committee for the historical society, which partnered with the City of Mattoon to gain funding for the historic restoration of the train facility.

Record said keeping the benches made sense for two reasons: one involving historical preservation, and the other regarding space usage.

"We think these benches were present when the Illinois Central Depot opened in 1918. We have photographs and that is the best evidence that these benches might have been the original seating. We believe they were manufactured at some railroad shop for Illinois Central," Record said.

Replacing the benches with more modern furniture did not seem to match the passenger lobby space needs.

"They fit the scale of that large waiting room. They are too heavy to be moved around, too," she said.

The benches are in a new configuration than before the depot restoration. That involves new security measures within the facility.

"We moved them around so the cameras can see each bench. That will prevent vandalism and also help with passenger safety. Those cameras are monitored by law enforcement," Record said.

The individual seating dividers have returned to each bench to prevent abuse of the seating. "This way someone can't use them for sleeping," Record said.

Uphoff, who was going to Chicago with her sister to visit her niece Brittany Stanski and great nephew Liam, was glad her hometown could keep a piece of history like the depot.

"It's a good feeling to know you are able to still use this," she said.

Army PFC Bradly Horn of Pana was using the historic depot after he had been involved in making history during a recent tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was heading to his next military assignment, stateside this time, as he waited for the Chicago-bound train.

"I came through here before when they had the construction. This is beautiful, really gorgeous. I'm very satisfied with what they've done here," said Horn, whose grandfather, John Horn, lives in Mattoon.

Private Horn is one of many generations of military personnel who have sat and waited for trains on the tall benches in Mattoon. He will be followed by more as the structure approaches its centennial.

"This has been here for nearly a century. That is incredible," he said.