Osceola175 - Osceola's Historic Depot

As Osceola celebrates 175 years of community, progress, and connection, our Glimpses of the Past series highlights places and stories that helped shape who we are today. Few landmarks tell that story quite like Osceola’s historic railroad depot, and even the benches within it carry more than a century of memories.

A Gateway Built in 1907

Built by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Prairie-style depot opened its doors in 1907, quickly becoming a vital hub for Osceola and the surrounding region. Designed with simplicity and function in mind, the single-story brick building reflected the growing popularity of Prairie and Craftsman architectural styles in early 20th-century county seat towns.

From the very beginning, the depot served as a gateway. Rail passengers traveling west to Denver and California, or east to Chicago, passed through Osceola by way of what is now Amtrak’s California Zephyr. That role continues today, making Osceola the busiest Amtrak stop in Iowa, despite being one of the smallest towns it serves.

A Century of Service; and a New Chapter

By 2007, the depot marked its 100th birthday, a milestone celebrated by citizens and rail passengers alike. Around that time, after the city agreed to construct new railroad offices for BNSF Railway (which had occupied much of the building), Osceola gained full ownership of the depot. With that came a bold vision: a careful, multi-phase rehabilitation that would preserve the depot’s historic character while ensuring its future.

The restoration effort spanned nearly a decade. The city initially received $600,000 in federal funding through the Iowa Department of Transportation to restore the depot’s exterior. This work included:

• Installation of a new roof
• Reconstruction of a damaged chimney
• Restoration of existing windows and installation of historically appropriate storm windows
• Manufacturing new entry doors to match the originals
• Re-pointing the brick mortar
• Cleaning and rehabilitating brick and stone surfaces

The project culminated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 1, 2016, marking the depot’s rebirth as both a functional transportation stop and a treasured historic landmark.

Honoring Preservation and Community Pride

During the 2016 celebration, city leaders honored Fred and Ann Diehl for their dedication to the project and to Osceola’s historic preservation. Fred Diehl served as mayor when the restoration began, and Ann Diehl has long advocated for preservation through her work on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. An adjacent park, where large letters spelling “OSCEOLA” are visible to passing train passengers, was named in their honor.

National Recognition and Lasting Significance

Due to its high level of physical integrity and its role as a symbol of the railroad’s influence on Osceola’s development, the depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. As noted in its National Register documentation, the 1907 depot exemplifies the practical, standardized approach common to early 20th‑century railroad stations, balancing everyday function with the rising influence of Prairie and Craftsman design.

Iowa once had well over a thousand train stations. Today, only a small number remain, and Osceola’s stands out as the busiest of them all. When Amtrak established its Iowa route in 1971, Osceola emerged as the closest rail stop for Des Moines and Ames, metro areas that together represent more than a quarter of Iowa’s residents.

Although ticket sales and freight shipping are no longer handled at the depot, its role has adapted with the times rather than fading away. Main-line freight trains still thunder past the platform, and the California Zephyr continues to call twice daily; linking Osceola to a national passenger rail network just as it did more than a century ago.

Still Waiting, Still Welcoming

Those original depot benches, worn smooth by generations of travelers, remind us that history is not something locked away, it’s something we still sit with, pass through, and build upon. As we celebrate 175 years of Osceola, the depot stands as a powerful symbol of endurance, connection, and community pride, then, now, and into the future.

This story is part of our Glimpses of the Past series celebrating 175 years of Osceola. Read more stories from the series and explore Osceola’s history here.