Sacramento, IL

History

The Sacramento depot was located west of highway 45 north of Norris City in a small farming community. In his book, Ghost Towns of Southern Illinois, Glenn Sneed provides a glimpse of what it was like at milepost 29. Before the railroad came, a community and post office had been founded with the name of the Rattle Snake in 1852. In 1857, a village was established with the name Sacramento. The post office did not change its identification to Sacramento until December, 1861. When the railroad was built, the station was a flag stop with an open-side shed facing the tracks serving as the depot. There was a feed mill, cream station, and stock pens. More cream was shipped from Sacramento than the sum of Norris City and Enfield in the beginning. Hogs and cattle were also shipped from the stop. The Cairo and Vincennes Railroad had surveyed Sacramento as a candidate for the crossing with the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. However, Norris City was chosen for the crossing and the community of Sacramento begin a descent.

The Macedonia Baptist Church met in the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Depot at Sacramento before constructing their own building. The church still stands and can be seen on the aerial photo and Google maps today.

Ghost Towns of Southern Illinois - Glenn J. Sneed

History of White County, Illinois, Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois. 1883, pp 523, 879