Pana was once the crossroads of four major railroads. Pana's origin is attributed to the coming of the "Iron Monster" that invaded the Illinois prairie in 1853.  The railroad Switch Tower is all that remains of the site where a double crossing of all four railroads once crossed. These rail lines brought both goods and passengers to the area as well as took millions of tons of coal from Pana.  Very little evidence of the 5 mines that were in Pana exist today. Of all the rail lines that once served the city, The Union Pacific is the only mainline that remains.