In June of 1897, The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad announced it was purchasing the buildings on the west side of Washington Street between Jackson and Main streets in order to build a freight depot and sheds.  

The railroad had also contracted for the excavation for a tunnel under Washington Street and reported that dirt that was removed would be “loaded in cars and placed at the site of the new freight depot.” The Vicksburg Herald in August reported the freight depot “will be a frame, two-story building, fifty feet wide and four hundred feet long, and an elevated bridge will run from Washington Street to its second floor. The road will build also, south of the depot, a cold storage building of three rooms, likely to be thoroughly appreciated by dealers in perishable goods. The foot of Jackson Street, or from Washington Street west, will be raised five feet, bringing it to the easiest grade of any street connecting the level of Levee Street with the town on the hill, and it will be paved with gravel, with concrete sidewalks on either side.”  

The Post stated the new building, new tracks along the building, concrete retaining wall, and sidewalks would cost not less than $125,000. When the building was completed, it was two stories only on the Jackson corner, with the remaining 350 feet to the north being one story.  Three new tracks ran the length of the building on the east side.

The location of the depot at the waterfront, even though it had been raised five feet, made it susceptible to flood waters. An early February 1916 flood threatened the depot, The Post reporting that “the Y & M V Railroad forces continue to hold back the water around the passenger and freight depots. A big force of men were (sic) busy through the morning putting additional sacks on the levee, and the scene presented a very busy one. The officials think they can keep the water out.”  

Numerous floods caused the railroad to take action in 1922. The Vicksburg Herald reported “a force of 50 men are (sic) raising the large freight depot, so that the ground floor will be above the flood height. This will necessitate a raise of three feet above the present grade. This work will be finished before the Merrill Road Improvement Company will begin the work of paving the yard in front of the depot and the approaches. The pavement will be laid in compliance with the request of the Board of Trade for an improvement in the approaches and the front, so that motor trucks and vehicles carrying freight to and from the freight depot will not become bogged in the road.”

The building was later used by the Illinois Central Railroad as their freight depot. It was demolished and the land is a part of the Corps of Engineers museum today.  

Nancy Bell, Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation.