In 1966, Martin “Marty” Hampa retired after completing 40 years in the railroad industry. Marty came to work in the Sycamore Train Depot in 1958 overseeing freight paperwork and acting as sales representative for C&NW. It is said he always carried two items with him at work: his C&NW handbook and his watch. The watch hung from his belt and had a train engine engraved on it.

To honor him as the last of the ‘old time’ depot agents for the Sycamore Train Depot, we at the Community Foundation will continue to keep his memory alive. Located in the office of Executive Director Dan Templin (former office of Marty Hampa), a shadow box is now on display.  The box, constructed of original wood from the depot, contains Marty’s original watch, a description of him, and an image of Marty from 1955 working in the DeKalb Train Depot.

Thank you to Betty Hampa, daughter of Marty and friend of the Community Foundation, for partnering with us on this project. The display is a neat way to keep the memory of Marty alive, while capturing a few moments in train depot history. We invite all to stop by and take a look!

Thank you to the Joiner History Room for usage of the original photo in the display, Clint Cargile (author of Five-Mile Spur Line) for usage of his depot history facts, and to Banner-Up Displays for creating the shadow box display!