Who Are We?
Welcome! The Historic 1875 Southern Pacific Depot site in Kingsburg, California is operated by Friends of the Historic Kingsburg Depot ("Friends"), a non-profit California corporation. Friends mission is to preserve and operate the Historic Kingsburg Depot as an educational facility for the benefit of students and the public in the San Joaquin Valley of California; and to discover, preserve, and make known the history and importance of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad Line completed from Sacramento to Los Angeles in 1876. A historically accurate restoration of the Depot was completed in 2016, the result of 1,600 private donations and a federal grant.
Leon. S. Peters Learning Center
The Leon. S. Peters Learning Center is a living history program operating at the Depot that hosts an average of 3,500 public, private, and home school students per year. Costumed actors playing roles of real people from the year 1923 interact with students to bring history alive. Why 1923? US Railroads reached peak mileage in 1916 and by the 1920s had a profound influence on nearly every town in America. A century ago train depots were community meeting places and their activities a microcosm of society.
The Depot Freight House also operates as an event venue. Click "CONTACT" on the menu at the top of this page for information about using it.
The Depot Freight House also operates as an event venue. Click "CONTACT" on the menu at the top of this page for information about using it.
Southern Pacific #1238
