Taylor’s Junction

Taylor’s Junction was a steak house featuring a railroad theme located at 2611 US 41N. Roy “Corky” and Jamia Taylor were owners. Jamia Taylor had been an employee of Colonel Jim’s, a Henderson restaurant owned by her father, Jim Mortensen. Taylor’s Junction even features “Colonel Jim’s Famous Fried Chicken.

The restaurant on U.S. 41 was designed using the old train depot in Centralia, Ill. as a model. It was just what the 32-year-old Taylor, and his wife, Jamia, were looking for when they bought the restaurant in February, 1978.

Taylor had considered building a steak house using the railway theme. He thought about designing the facility to look like Henderson train station. But Bob Gregory opened Rib-Eye Junction before Taylor completed his plans.

“I knew I didn’t want to go into competition with another steak house.” said Taylor. “So I waited, and bought Rib-Eye Junction.” The Taylors changed the name to Taylor’s Junction, and began looking for rail-road equipment, drawings and photographs for the train theme that Gregory started when the restaurant opened in 1977. Shortly after buying the restaurant, the Taylors enclosed a porch and added the “Loose Caboose Bar” and a small waiting area.

Fred and Phyllis Shipley purchased the restaurant in 1984 and changed the name to The Junction.

This building now is the location of Mr B’s Pizza and Wings.