Hi Bob:
Thanks for sharing this article on Princeton's depot.
My folks were visiting on Thanksgiving weekend. I copied the pages from Richard C. Overton's 1965 CB&Q History book about Darious Miller (including a portrait) for Dad. Dad is writing a summary of Miller for Princeton's tourism brochure. I also searched the net and found the realtor ads for Darous Miller's former mansion in Lake Forest, IL (asking about $4.5 million), his Egytian style mausoleum in Chicago, a NY Times article he wrote, and a short resume prior to his CB&Q presidency. He apparently worked at several railroads (including John Mutrray Forbes' Michigan Central and James J. Hill's GN) before
arriving at CB&Q. He was president of the Q for only 4 short years and died unexpectedly at Glacier National Park.
The park across from Princeton's depot is named Darius Miller Park beacuse the Q donated the land to the town.
Bill H
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "Robert" <bweb82898@...> wrote:
>
> While reviewing the LaSalle, IL News Tribune paper, I found this article from Dec 1st.
>
> Bob Weber
> Crystal Lake, IL
>
> By Lindsay Vaughn
> ntprinceton@...
>
> PRINCETON — The Princeton depot that residents enjoy today has been serving local commuters and tourists for a century.
> Princeton Tourism and the Bureau County Historical Society are teaming up for a celebration Dec. 13 in the depot.
>
> The open house will feature historical reenactments to introduce some of the characters responsible for building the current station, including Darius Miller, portrayed by Dick Dorsch, and Margaret Trimble, played by Stephanie Van Ordstrand.
>
> Trimble was president of the Princeton Woman's Club, which took on several projects to improve "civic conditions in Princeton" in 1910.
> "The depot was at the top of their list," said Bureau County Historical Society director Pam Lange.
> "They were out to beautify the city, so what they wanted was improved lighting conditions around the depot and also beautification of the grounds."
>
> Trimble signed a letter from the committee to Princeton native and CB&Q Railroad president Darius Miller requesting these improvements.
> "He got the letter and said, `I'll do better than that. I'll get you a new building.' It was not expected. They were just hoping to have a few improvements," Lange said.
>
> The CB&Q Railroad commissioned the Craftsman-style depot from a Chicago contractor. Miller, who had worked his way up through the ranks of various railroad companies, continued to show interest and offer financial support in his hometown even after moving to Chicago. His promise of a new depot was yet another gesture of favor to the city.
>