Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, part 3 – Cisco, Illinois

: 1956 USGS Aerial Photo of Cisco, IL

I’m trying to build the N scale replica of the town of Cisco, Utah circa 1970. Accordingly, it’s my routine to search “Cisco” on the web, but it goes wrong most of the times bothered by “San Francisco” or “Cisco Systems”. Sometimes, “Cisco, Texas” gets in my way. Thus, I was wondering how many “Cisco”s are there in the United States. My recent research during these Stay Home days revealed some of them. Here, let me introduce these places named Cisco as a sideshow for my Town of Cisco posts.


Cisco, Piatt, Illinois: the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway’s Cisco, Illinois station was located on the line between Decatur and Monticello; 5.5 miles to Argenta to the west and 3.3 miles to Amenia to the east according to the 1966 Official Railway Guide.

Both the depot and the original plat of Cisco were established in 1874[1]. The plat was named for Francisco Dallas, the mother of Erastus Fletcher Dallas(1838 – 1911) who was the original agent at the depot[2]. However, unfortunately, the passenger service was ended in 1939[3]. The depot structure still exists but remains closed since the 60s. The last agent was Dale Riggins assigned in 1963[1].

The Cisco Post Office was also established in 1874[1]. Oscar Harper(1840 – 1899) was the original postmaster. The recent post office building was built in 1958. The Cisco School was first built in 1885. The schoolhouse was torn down in the late 90s and became the Cisco Fire Department[4]. The village had a population of 379 in 1910 and 257 in 2016.

Today, part of the former WSt.L & P line, later Illinois Central Railroad Decatur District known as “Peanut Line” between Decatur and Cisco is operated by the Decatur Central Railroad managed by Omnitrax. Predecessor Decatur Junction Railway used rebuilt GP16s and GP20u. Decatur Central Railroad uses GP38-2s.

[1] Cisco, Ill. Centennial History Committiee, (1974) Cisco, Illinois, 1874 – 1974;
[2] Callary, Edward, (2010) Place Names of Illinois, University of Illinois Press;
[3] History of the depot in Cisco, Illinois, ciscojunction.com;
[4] Downey, Dennis, (2009) Cisco High School “Wildcats”, Illinois High School Glory Days;
* 2012 photo of unpatched ATSF Gp20u #3069 at Cisco by Zachary Walters at Railroad Picture Archives;

: Cisco, IL. Sep. 11, 2019
: Google maps Cisco, IL


筆者がNスケールで復元しようとしているユタ州Ciscoについて調べようとインターネット検索すると、余計なページばかりよく引っ掛かる。一番邪魔なのは「San Francisco」、次に邪魔なのは「Cisco Systems」に関連するページである。テキサス州にある「Cisco」という町に関連するページも結構邪魔だ。一方、お目当てのユタ州Ciscoの町に関連するページなどほとんどない。一体何件の「Cisco」がアメリカにあるのか。古い時刻表を調べてみると、ユタ州Cisco以外に八カ所ものCisco駅があったらしい。どんなところだろう。


Cisco, Piatt, Illinois: 二カ所目のCisco駅は、Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railwayのイリノイ州DecaturおよびMonticelloを結ぶ支線に1974年に開設された駅である。元々の地主で初代駅長も務めたErastus Fletcher Dallasというひとの母親Francisco Dallasにちなんで「Cisco」と名付けられたという。最盛期には400名弱の人口を誇っていた。

廻りは一面のとうもろこし・大豆畑で、沿線の収穫物をおそらくDecaturにある穀物メジャーADMの巨大な工場・サイロに運ぶのだろう、かつてのIllinois Centralの線路は現在もDecatur Central Railroadとして運行されている。現在の人口は250名ほど。