Calhan Depot Project
The Calhan Depot, 704 Fourth Street, was initially built
and owned by the Chicago, Kansas
and Nebraska Railroad, a separate, but
associated company of the Chicago,
Rock Island and Chicago Railway. It
existed from 1888 to 1891 when it was
absorbed into the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Railroad.
In the late 1880s, the officials from
Illinois-based Rock Island Railroad
Company found good quality shallow
groundwater in Calhan and thought
the virtually treeless land would make
an excellent stopping point between
Limon and Colorado Springs.
The first train passed through Calhan on
November 5, 1888, according to Larry L.
King s book, The History of Calhan and
Vicinity 1888-1988. That prompted the
opening of the town s post office 19
days later.
The elevation of the Depot is 6,509
feet above sea level and is the highest
elevation of any depot that had been on
the Rock Island Railway. The distance to
Chicago from Calhan is 996.0 miles and
to Colo. Springs terminus is 37.4 miles.
In addition to the depot, a section
house, bunkhouses, water tower, pump
house, and stock pens were built at the
same time. There were two tracks in
front of the depot and one behind it.
The best that can be determined is that
Calhan s original depot was like those
at Arriba and Seibert, which were twostory buildings made of wood, painted
a dark reddish-brown. In 1902 or 1903
it was modified to the single-story
building that stands today.
Again in 1936 depot was modified once
again and upgraded with a cinder block
foundation and a concrete floor that
remains today. It was painted a dark
yellowish-brown with dark brown trim
on the doors, and an art deco porthole
front door window.
Sometime in early 1980, it was painted
a white with turquoise trim by the then
occupants, the Cadillac and Lake City
railroad.
The depot was registered as a historic
place on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1995.
RESTORATION
Society became aware of the depot in
2013 and took it on as its first project.
A deal was struck with the town of
Calhan for the Rocky Mountain Railroad
Heritage Society to buy the building
and develop the site into a railroad
heritage park. The price was $25. The
Society will repair the building, lay
some rail and place at least three rail
cars on the tracks. We have obtained an
original Rock Island caboose, an early
passenger car, and a flatcar which need
to be restored. The vision is that the
passenger car can become a gathering
place for local groups, maybe even a
coffee shop or perhaps the local farmers
market/museum. When the restoration
is complete, the Society will then sell
the restored park back to the town or a
local non-profit for the same $25.
The building needs much work, and we
have begun the process. The biggest
problem we currently face is the
replacement of the roof, as it is in very
poor condition; there are holes in the
roof, and the gutters have broken off.
The gutters should be rebuilt (as we do
have the original steel gutters) and be
replaced on the roof line. Repairing the
soffits go together with the roof work.
THE RAIL YARD
The first 30 feet of track were laid by
amateurs in 8 hours. We concluded that
the people who put the 996 miles of track
from Chicago to Calhan would not hire
us to lay more. We now have 120 feet of
track, thanks to a group of professionals,
the track is now perfect!
WHY SAVE THE DEPOT?
To keep the history of railroading alive
in Colorado, El Paso county and the
Calhan community.
For more information see our Facebook
page CRI&P Calhan Depot Project.
