Selections From Meade's Manual

LA JUNTA TERMINAL

La Junta Terminal was established in 1878, shortly after the road was built into Raton. A Depot, Harvey House and Coal Chute were placed on the north side of the present main line, about 1879, Together with 26 company houses, which Company houses stood in five rows on the north side of the main Line and commenced at a point off Colorado Avenue and extended east opposite Steen Avenue. The houses were occupied by Company employees and the different officials whose headquarters were at La Junta. About 1879, the Railway Company built a Reading Room, which stood opposite Smithland Avenue on the north Side of the railroad track. The company also had two or three houses on the south side of First Street, Near Smith Avenue. A Superintendent's house built about 1884, occupied by Superintendent Rathburn, House now occupied by the General Superintendent. This house stands north of the Santa Fe Hospital.

The Harvey House and depot on the north side of the main line stood about 100-ft apart. The depot, as well as the Harvey House, was a two story building. Downstairs of the depot was occupied by the depto for the terminal and the upstairs was occupied by telegraph office and Railway officials. About 1894 the depot building was burned, fire having started in lunch room, which was in the east end of downstairs waiting room. After the depot burned, the telegraph office was moved on the south side of First Street to the old Draper Building, and a temporary depot placed on the site of the burned building.

During 1895 and 1896 the east portion of present Harvey House and Depot was constructed by Contractor Harry Hedderman, of Topeka, laid out by J.M. Meade and Seely McCoy. The depot was in the west and downstairs end of the building, and in the upstairs, or west end of the building, was the telegraph office. The Harvey House occupying the east end of the building with their office in the east end. The lunch room being in the east end of the depot waiting room.

After the new depot and Harvey house was constructed the downstairs portion of the Old Harvey House, on the north side of the track was used for a Reading Room and the upstairs portion used for offices and a portion of the upstairs used for Harvey help as sleeping rooms.

About 1900 the north portion of the old Harvey House was moved about 200-ft. east and in 1902 contract was let for General Superintendent's office, which was built north of the main line. At this time the remainder of the Harvey House still standing was torn down and moved east of the east end of present Harvey House and occupied by Harvey people as a quarters for their help. The reading Room which was in the old Harvey House, was moved to the portion of the Harvey House building which had previously been moved some 20-ft east of the old building. Upstairs of this building was then occupied by Roadmaster and Telegraph Office.

In May 1902, contract was let for a general Superintendent's office to W. R. Carter, of Lawrence, Kansas. This building was completed this same year. This building stood at this point until the fall of 1913, when it was moved to the south side of track and west of the present Reading Room. In the spring of 1914, General Superintendent moved his quarters from this frame building to the new General Office Building, built by the Railway Company on the corner of Fourth and Santa Fe. The new General Office Building is a two- story structure, built of brick, trimmed with Turkey Creek, Colorado, Stone. This new building was built during the year 1913, and finally completed during the first of the year 1914. Mr. A. McLeod of Chicago, Illinois, was the building contractor. His contract covered the building and plumbing. The work on steam lines in building by the A. J. Shirk Roofing Company, of Kansas City, Missouri. This building is occupied by the General Superintendent, Mechanical Superintendent, District Engineer, Signal Supervisor, Chief Special Agent, Chemist and Telegraph Office. After the General Superintendent moved out of the old frame structure, the building was occupied by the Superintendent, Division Engineer, Trainmaster, General Foreman, B&B, Roadmaster, Claim Adjuster and Dispatcher, also Telegraph Office.

In 1907 the present Harvey House and depot was extended to the West. The downstairs portion of the extension used as a baggage room, waiting room and ticket office, the upstairs being occupied by rooms by the Harvey people. F. M. Spencer of Topeka, Kansas was the Contractor.

During 1914, the old Superintendent's office which was built out of a portion of the old Harvey House, was torn down and a part of the material used construction an office for Agent and his help, together with a yard office at the east end of freight depot. The building erected thus was a two-story frame structure.

The present La Junta Hospital is a brick structure and built in 1907 by Harvey Stiver, Contractor, Kansas City, Missouri. The first hospital in La Junta was built in 1884 and was a frame structure. Shortly after it was built about Christmas time, the building burned, and only being four or five patients in attendance at the building. Immediately after the fire a new frame hospital was built and stood just west of the present brick building until the new building was completed. The old hospital building, frame structure, was torn down and a portion of the material used to construct a building back of present hospital where the patients with contagious diseases are kept, and a portion of the building was used to construct a Boy's Club, at the corner of 9th and Santa Fe Avenue. Portion of the building was used to build residences.

The reading Room at La Junta, was built in 1905, Contractors, Blankenship Brothers, of La Junta Colorado. M.A. Martin, Inspector.

A portion of page 99 and page 100

This portion of the Meade's Manual transcribed in altered form by Russell L. Crump