1925 Opening of Vandalia Station  

Culver Citizen - 1 Sep 1925
Culver 's New Station to be open Friday -
A beautiful Edifice -

Structure is completed except for waiting room furniture and telegraphic wiring -

An event dreamed of, hoped for and almost despaired of will what last become a reality Friday morning when the Pennsylvania Railroad ticket and baggage offices will be moved into the new depot. The building is completed except for a few minor details concerning the telegraphic wiring and the arrival of the waiting room furniture.

Agent W. T. Parish and his co-workers: E. R. Cook, freight clerk; C. W. de Armond, freight clerk; M. H. Rudd and T. L. Bunnell, operators and ticket clerks, are proud of their new work house and they have a right to be. In fact, the new depot is an edifice of which the entire community can be proud.

With the exception of the general foreman of construction and the brick layer foreman, the entire work of the building the edifice was done by local people. A. M. Roberts had the sub-contract for the plumbing and fixtures; George Stevens did all the painting and interior decorating; O. E. Byrd was awarded the electrical wiring sub-contract; and Clayton Dykes did the plastering and other cement work. The finished product is evidence in itself of the fine work of local contractors.

The office of the new structure will be well equipped with the modern conveniences. The dispatchers desk is in a little alcove of large windows which extend out from the main lines of the building to allow a good view of the track in both directions. The telegraphic wiring has been put in a temporary way for the instruments to be hooked up tomorrow morning. The final work will be done in a few days. At the east side of the ticket office is a small window where trainmen may get their orders without bothering at the ticket window at a busy time. Two large ticket sales windows have been provided which will take care of the rush which occurs at many times during the summer months.

The waiting room has been finished in a light yellow which contrasts beautifully with the dark finished wood work. The main room is thirty feet square. The floor is cement and the side walls up to the window sills are finished in a light colored brick. The light fixtures are simple but quite ornamental and in keeping with the rest off the building. The furniture of this room will consist of three tiers of seats finished in a light oak. The men's toilet opens off of the main waiting room.

Through a little hallway leads one into a private rest room for the women. This will be furnished with one long bench and three comfortable leather rocking chairs. Off of the ladies rest room is the women's toilet.

The Indiana Bell Telephone Company has installed a long distance telephone booth in the small hallway which is indeed in keeping with the other modern features of the new depot Agent Parish said he asked for a good one and the telephone company has certainly compelled with his desire.

The baggage room, or the work room of the structure, is large enough to accommodate the heavy business that occurs at the opening and closing of the academy each year, it being 16 by 130 feet. At the north side is a stairway leading to the basement where the old records of this station will be stored. It is here also that a large coal bin has been built and the furnace has been installed. The basement does not extend under the entire building but merely under the baggage room. The furnace is an over-size of the American Radiator Company.

The manner in which the exterior of the building has been arranged makes the railroad property one of attractive places of Culver . The long train shed extends along the entire south side of the building. It has five large electric lights. The wide cement platform is about three hundred feet long and extends both ways from the building.

The only eye-sore to the railroad property at present is the small and shack-looking freight depot which stands about 150 feet west of the new station. It is hoped that this evil will be remedied before many moons.