Looking east at a train arriving at the depot. The C&NW was the dominant railroad in Story County for 130 years and provided the first “modern” form of transportation in the County. People traveled by rail and most commerce became dependent on the railroad. In the 1950s, highway transportation overtook rail as the primary means of moving people and goods. The railroad flourished and floundered over its 130-year history until April 1995 when it was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad. 1911 postmark.