The first station, built in 1880, was destroyed by fire in 1887. The same year the station was rebuilt by Taylor, Bastrop, and Houston Railway Company.
Passenger service continued until the 1950's.....
Allowing plenty of room to wait inside for the scheduled train.
It continued to receive and dispatch freight into the 1970's.
The historical building has the original pot belly stove....
Another highlight of the museum is the original stationmaster's desk.
I asked the museum docent about the unusual wooden "Y" attached to the wall. He explained this was how the trains would receive their messages before telephones. Do you see the rolled paper message tied to a string?
If you look closely at the photo (sorry for the reflection) you can see two loops. The one up high was for the engineer while the lower loop was for the conductor who rode in the caboose. Whatever the speed they were traveling, they would reach out and take hold of the message that was tied in the loop. Inside would be the latest information and directions for the train.
This was a time in history before cell phones, computers, and i-Pads.
Every wall of this beautifully maintained historical station, is covered with memorabilia.
Looking outside, I see an original caboose.
And the powerful wheels that rolled along the miles of track...clickety-clack....clickety-clack.
In 1911, President Teddy Roosevelt, traveling on a special train, made a stop at this very train depot.
Click on the photos to bring them up in a larger format.
I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse from the past, of a small town in Texas.
I could have stayed another hour, talking to the friendly docent, listening to his endless stories about Texas Train History.
But it was time for me to follow these tracks and head for the farm....
Enjoy your week end
Meggie Mac
