Beardstown, IL is located in Cass County on the Illinois River. It played an important role for two railroad companies: CB&Q and B&O. The CB&Q was the first to build facilities in Beardstown. When the B&O arrived it built passenger and freight depots. In the early 1920's, an agreement was reached by the B&O to lease space in the CB&Q buildings.
The following are aerial photos of the Beardstown Railroad Yard from the Illinois Historical Aerial Photo Collection taken around 1938 and the USGS Earth Explorer Collection in 1975.