BlockBefore
Photograph of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella
Photograph by Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

From the record

“Pella station, also known as the Rolscreen Museum, is a historic building located in Pella, Iowa, United States. The Des Moines Valley Railroad built the first tracks through the area in 1865, and they built a simple frame depot to serve passengers' needs.”

Wikipedia article Pella station, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 29 National Register listings published here for Marion County · listed in 1991 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Listed as. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot--Pella - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
  • Address. Jct. of Main and Oskaloosa Sts., Pella, 50219
  • When was it listed? July 1991
  • Category. building
  • Also known as. Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS
  • Township. Lake Prairie township
  • National Register reference number. 91000909 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

1 since 2009

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella in 2009, burning about 120 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
15 March 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined120 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Every fire recorded in Marion County

Mines and quarries near this property

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella: 6 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Durham QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Vanderkraats QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Witzenberg QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
BattistelloSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dingeman PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Harvey Pit #151Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Pella Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Marion County

Storms near this property

60 of 92 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pella, the town this property stands in, in 92 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 39 thunderstorm wind, 27 hail, 15 heavy rain, 4 flash flood. The reports record 13 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2018Tornado (EF3)Pella13 hurt, $120,000,000Tornado developed about 3 miles north of Pella and moved southeast for its entire length. The tornado initially remained in rural areas just north and northeast of the town producing crop, tree and minor structural damage to houses. The tornado began to intensify just northeast of town and shifted a house off of its foundation. The tornado then encountered the Vermeer facility on the east side of town producing EF3 damage to one of the large buildings along with tossing numerous cars about the facility. 13 injuries occurred at the Vermeer facility with 6 requiring transport to the hospital. The tornado then turned slightly eastward before passing into Mahaska county.
October 2018FloodPella$100,000Emergency manager reported multiple gravel roads remain closed due to water over them or washed out throughout the county.
September 2007Tornado (EF1)Pella$75,000Tornado touched down in Marion County, then tracked northeast into Mahaska County.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindPella$50,000Large limbs blown down and at least one home damaged.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindPella$50,000Roof blown off of a building.
June 2011Flash FloodPella$50,000Thunder Creek over 240th Pl with the road closed due to the water. Deputy reported it looked like white water rapids.
August 1993Thunderstorm WindPella$50,000no account filed
July 2015Thunderstorm WindPella$30,000A large tree was down on a power line.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindPella$30,000no account filed
August 2018Thunderstorm WindPella$25,000KNIA/KRLS Radio reported, via social media, several large trees snapped on the Pella Golf and Country Club. Power lines were also reported down throughout Pella.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindPella$25,000no account filed
May 2004Thunderstorm WindPella$25,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPella$25,000no account filed
May 1996HailPella$25,000no account filed
December 2021Thunderstorm WindPella$15,000Public reported large limbs down and metal roof blown off. Time estimated from radar.
April 2024LightningPella$10,000A small fire was started at a hotel in Pella after sustaining a lightning strike in the very early morning hours of April 16th.
June 2015HailPella$10,000Tennis ball size was estimated via the photos on social media.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindPella$10,000Numerous trees and branches down in town. Construction signs blown down.
June 2008Flash FloodPella$10,000Two feet of water was flowing over Highway T14.
June 2015HailPella$10,000no account filed
August 2004LightningPella$10,000no account filed
May 2003HailPella$10,000no account filed
September 2000Thunderstorm WindPella$10,000no account filed
September 2000Thunderstorm WindPella$10,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPella$10,000no account filed
June 2019Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000Public reported 2 to 3 foot diameter tree snapped in the city square, via the mPING app.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000Public relayed pictures of several large tree limbs down. This is a delayed report.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000Pella AWOS measured a wind gust of 51 kts at 1034 PM.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000no account filed
April 2010HailPella$5,000no account filed
April 2010HailPella$5,000no account filed
September 2006Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPella$5,000no account filed
May 1996HailPella$3,000no account filed
August 2018Thunderstorm WindPella$2,000Large 1 to 2 foot diameter tree branch blown between two homes. Report relayed from KNIA/KRLS radio.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindPella$2,000Measured gust at the Pella Schoolnet site.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPella$2,000Report received from an RWIS site.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindPella$2,000no account filed
July 2006HailPella$2,000no account filed
April 2010HailPella$1,000no account filed
April 2010HailPella$1,000no account filed
April 2010HailPella$1,000no account filed
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPella$1,000no account filed
July 2006HailPella$1,000no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindPella$1,000no account filed
June 2001HailPella$1,000no account filed
June 1999Thunderstorm WindPella$1,000no account filed
April 1999HailPella$1,000no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPella-Delayed report, relayed by media of large branches downed in Pella.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindPella-Tree fell on garage in Pella. Time of occurrence estimated with radar.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindPella-Picture of large branches that came down in Pella.
May 2024HailPella-Public mping report of quarter sized hail.
July 2024Heavy RainPella-Report of 4.37 inches of rain.
July 2024Flash FloodPella-Car stranded in water on the road, with water over halfway up vehicles wheels. Estimated height of around 12 inches of water.
July 2024Flash FloodPella-Multiple intersections flooded throughout town, some of which that do not typically flood. Cars with water up to the midpoint of the wheels in some areas.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPella-Delayed report. Large tree limb down in image submitted via social media. Time estimated from radar.
October 2024HailPella-Mostly pea to nickel sized hail but a few larger stones up to golf ball sized. A few dings to ag equipment and crop damage.
March 2023HailPella-Report via social media, time estimated by radar.
March 2023HailPella-Report via radio station knia.
November 2022Heavy RainPella-A 24 hour rain total of 2.99 inches.

Every storm recorded in Marion County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Porter-Rhynsburger House0.4 miles2003
Pella City Hall, Fire Station, and Jail0.4 miles2025
B. H. and J. H. H. Van Spanckeren Row Houses0.4 miles1990
Pella High School0.5 miles2020
Collegiate Neighborhood Historic District0.5 miles2017
Henry and Johanna Van Maren House-Diamond Filling Station0.5 miles2008

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 91000909 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Marion CountyAll 29 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.