KESTERSON DEPOT

Fairbury Nebr: Its called the Kesterson Depot and not many Fairbury residents remember it. The town of Kesterson no longer exists. But those responsible for saving the depot say it was an important part of transportation to and from Fairbury in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Denise Anderson, curator of the Rock Island Depot Museum said the Jefferson County Historical Society recently acquired the Kesterson Depot from a defunct Railroad club in Washington Kan. The Jefferson County group saved the Rock Island several years ago and turned it into a museum. The addition of the Kesterson Depot to the Museum grounds was an unexpected treat she said.

"I really didn't know much about Kesterson until the Washington people asked us if we were interested in getting this Depot," Anderson said. "After a little research I said I thought we would take it". Her research found that Kesterson existed about the same length of time the Depot was in operation, 1882 - 1927. It was a rural depot on the Burlington Railroad and served the line that ran from Oxford Neb. to Wyoming Neb. The town was named for John C. Kesterson who operated an early day freighter business along the Oregon and California trails, which passed through Jefferson County.

Anderson said Fairbury residents who travelled on the Burlington used the Depot. They would arrive in Kesterson by train. A dray would pick them up and bring themt he four miles into Fairbury. Anderson said Kesterson never had much population - at most there were probably about 10 people in town. She obtained the depot because it would provide an accurate intreptation of what a "real rural depot looked like."

At one time after the depot closed it was owned by the Jefferson County Sheriff, Frank Kaocin who used it for hay storage. He then moved to Washington Kan. in 1997. Anderson said the Washington Railroad club restored parts of the depot Its members palmed the platform and repaired the floor for permanent display. The club decided to disband about a year ago and offered the depot to Fairbury. "Our reason for wanting it is that it gives us an opportunity to show how a small rural depot looked in comparison with the main line Rock Island we saved," Anderson said.

"Like many museum projects the historical society will conduct a fund drive to make the Kesterson Depot look as it would have at the turn of the century," Anderson said.

Contributed by:  Christine Walters