The Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail—Part 3 (Prescott, Hope)

Volume 33, No. 6 February 2020

Official Monthly Publication of the ARKANSAS-BOSTON MOUNTAINS CHAPTER, NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY   Chapter No. 188 founded in 1987

In this issue: page(s) The President’s Observation ...... 2 Chapter and General News, Upcoming Events ...... 3 - 6 (upcoming train shows; help the chapter; Paris locomotive move) In Memoriam: Dr. Robert D. Lundeen, George Gerrish Alison Jr...... 6 - 7 Chapter Meeting Minutes ...... 8 - 9 Rail Places: The Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail—Part 3 (Prescott, Hope) ...... 10 - 21

Rail Places: The Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail PART 3 (continued from last month)

The former Cairo & Fulton depot in Hope, Ark. The City of Hope website says this 1870s depot is the oldest remaining building in Hope, but it has been moved [https://www.hopearkansas.net/pView.aspx? id=6508&catid=583]. It may be the oldest surviving depot building in the state. –Photo by J. L. Gattis

THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 1 THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 2 Volume 33, No. 6 - February 2020 The President’s Observation THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER - Gary McCullah is published 12 times each year by In a recent issue of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas-Boston Mountains there was an article on the implementation of Positive Chapter (of the National Railway Train Control and how PTC would impact operating Historical Society Inc.), PO Box crew size. Specifically, the focus was on whether we would see a sin- 1303, Springdale, Arkansas 72765- gle crewman in the locomotive cab. 1303. Opinions expressed herein I can see the railroad’s point of trying to cut costs to stay competi- may not reflect the official position tive and meet the expectations of share-holders. However, I also see of the Chapter or the NRHS. the view of the operating employees. Do we sacrifice safety to save Editor …………… J. L. Gattis money, or do we reduce dividends to investors in order to keep eve- [email protected] ryone safe? It is a question that we will see answered over the next Circulation ……… Mike Sypult year. Every effort is made to provide accu- Please plan to help at the train show February 29. We will need rate and complete information in help to set up and take down. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER Just a reminder, I have a stack of Arkansas Railroaders to give newsletters. Please send corrections away, in addition to three scanner radios that I would sell CHEAP. to the editor. Contributing to THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER: We welcome your Visitors are welcome to chapter meetings; business session input! Send content (articles, stories, followed by a railroad presentation. photos) for the SCRAMBLER to the  WHEN: January thru November, the third Thursday of the editor. month, 7:00 pm. Meetings are cancelled when the Springdale DEADLINE for the SCRAMBLER public schools are closed due to inclement winter weather. is the 7th day of each month. The  WHERE: At the ADA compliant J. Reilly McCarren Railroad editor reserves the right to edit, hold, Museum, next to the Arkansas & Missouri Depot in the 300 or omit material at his discretion. block of East Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale, Ark. Space for longer articles may already be committed months in advance. WELCOME ABOARD all new and renewing members! MEMBERSHIP: Local chapter membership is $12 per year. Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter, Please make checks payable to ABMT NRHS. National Railway Historical Society Individual membership in the National Railway Historical Society Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educa- tional organization incorporated under is $50 per annum and Family membership is $57 per annum. Please the laws of the State of Arkansas. refer to the NRHS website www.nrhs.com for complete details. DIRECTORY OF 2020 OFFICERS President……………….. Gary McCullah Vice President………….. Larry Cain Secretary……………….. Malcolm Cleaveland Treasurer……………….. Rose Ann Hofer Membership……………. Malcolm Cleaveland Program Director……..… Hugh Harris Dist.7 National Director… Ken Eddy  Visit our website at: National Representative… Jim Gattis Website Manager …….… Mike Sypult www.arkrailfan.com Editor ……………...…..... Jim Gattis THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 3

Chapter & General News

Volunteer to present a program at a Chapter Meeting! E-mail [email protected] or call 479-240-3004 February 20, 2020 Chapter meeting: KCS Depots in Northwest Arkansas by Bob Stark

March 19, 2020 Chapter meeting: conclusion of “The Rise and Fall of Penn Station”, Mitch Marmel

March 26-28, 2020 NRHS Spring Conference, West Chester (Cincinnati) Ohio

Arkansas Railroad Museum 25th Annual Railroadiana Show and Sale Sat., 4 April 2020, 9 am to 4 pm, Pine Bluff (full page flyer planned for March issue)

Conference hotel: Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, Cal. (west of Fullerton Amtrak stop) Conference rate $119/night https://reservations.knottshotel.com/knotts/?requesttype=invBlockCode&code=NRHS&start Preliminary schedule -- more information expected around March 1 THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 4

Chapter & General News (continued) 1. Annual Membership Renewal Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter membership: To renew for 2020 at $12 per person, either pay at the February meeting, or send it to Malcolm Cleaveland at ABMT Chapter, National Railway Historical Soc., PO Box 1303, Springdale, AR 72765-1303. Please make checks payable to ABMT NRHS. National Membership: We are having a major problem with the company that services our database and will probably have to make a change this year. In the meantime they have made it very difficult to do an on-line renewal so, if you still need to renew, it is probably best to do it by mailing a check for $50.00 (rate for one person) to: Membership, PO Box 31074, St Louis MO 63131-0074. Thanks! Hugh R. Harris, Na- tional Membership Administrator.

2. Need Volunteer to Transport Train Layout for Feb. 29 Show At the January meeting, Al Kaeppel asked for someone to transport the four 4’x4’ train boards inside of a vehicle, not exposed to the elements, to and from the Saturday, February 29 train show at the Benton County Fairgrounds. Perhaps pick the up at the A&M Museum Friday afternoon, return them Saturday afternoon. There are also four large plastic tubs, and maybe four folding tables, too. Unless someone has a spacious vehicle, may required two. To inquire further, please contact Al 479-927-3163. Without transport, the Chapter will not be present at the show.

3. Need Someone to Preside at Our March Meeting Ladies and Gents: There is a very high probability that I will not be at the March meeting. I am hoping that our VP, Larry Cain, will be there. In the event he is not able to conduct the meeting, next in line is Malcolm, but he may not be there. After him is Roseann. If none of the above are in attendance, we will need someone to run the show and take the minutes of the meeting. Please be willing to step up and help. Thanks, Gary

4. How You Can Contribute to the Scrambler Do you have photos or information about the trains and operations on the south end of the A&M – Fayetteville to Ft Smith – past or present? Let the editor know – your information and help can contribute to an article documenting and recording this history in the Scrambler.

5. News from the Fort Smith Trolley Museum “Trolley Report” in their quarterly Fall 2019 newsletter ...  There have been ongoing problems with derailments at a curve by the Ft Smith National Cemetery. An inspection revealed rotted ties and out-of-gauge track. After repairs, the derailments have stopped.  Volunteers meet at the Museum on Tuesday nights from 6 to 10 pm, to work on restoration. The Museum provides both tools and instructors.  The Museum is in need of railroad memorabilia, model railroad equipment, a drinking fountain, a drill press, a paper folding machine, and Ft Smith City Directories before 1965 and after 1993. - continued next page - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 5

Chapter & General News (continued)

6. Former Rock Island Line a Step Closer to a Rail-To-Trail

In December 2019, representatives of Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), with Could Not Have Said It Better elected officials and others, held a signing in Eldon, The Rock Island was one of four companies running Missouri, to mark an agreement between MDNR and between St Louis and Kansas City, the others being the Missouri Central Railroad Company to rail-bank Missouri Pacific, Wabash, and Chicago & Alton (later the rail line, with the intent to turn it into a trail for Gulf, Mobile & Ohio). Routed through less populated public use. The route traverses 10 Missouri counties and more rugged terrain, the Rock Island’s route was in two segments: (1) between milepost 215.325, near probably the least desirable of the four. Windsor, and milepost 71.6 near Beaufoti; and (2) During the late-May to early-June 2018 Conference between mileposts 263.5 and 262.906 near Pleasant held jointly with the Railway & Locomotive Historical Hill. Along with the existing 240-mile Katy Trail Society and other rail history groups in St Louis, one and other portions of the former Rock Island line speaker quipped that as their rail system was expand- corridor, this could ultimately lead to a 400-mile rail ing, the Rock Island wanted to reach St Louis in the -to-trail loop in central Missouri. worst way, and they did. The east end of this former Rock Island line con- tinues in operation as the Central Midland Railway.

7. Paris Moves 10-Wheeler from Park to Museum Bob Stark forwarded a story from the Paris, Ark., Resident Press. In January, a 4-6-0 and tender on display for over half a century at the Paris City Park were hauled over city streets to the Paris/Logan Coun- ty Coal Miners Museum. According to the story, the locomotive began its career around 1900 on the Iron Mountain, which became Mis- souri Pacific in 1917. Renumbered as #2522, the Ft Smith, Subiaco & Rock Island acquired it. It was saved from the scrapper in the early The FSS&RI ran from Paris to 1960s. From the photographs, it appears that there is an opportunity for Scranton in the 1950s. some cosmetic restoration.

[ https://residentpress.com/january-24-2020-paris-engine-2522s-last-run/ ] - continued next page - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 6

Chapter & General News (continued)

8. Gene Hull in March 2020 Trains A Gene Hull story is in the March 2020 issue of Trains magazine. Over his lifetime, Clifton Eugene Hull compiled an amazing documentation of Arkansas railroading. Perhaps his best known work is the 400-plus page Shortline Railroads of Arkansas, published in 1969. Also in 1969, he was a charter member of the Arkansas Railroad Club. Although the focus of the Trains article was the relocation of Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks to avoid the rising waters created by the new dams of the Arkansas River navigation project, mentions of family and career also appear. As a young man, he briefly worked for MoPac during the World War II years until he was diag- nosed with advanced tuberculosis. Given just a few months to live, the doctors administered experimental treat- ments. Mr Hull died in 2011, at age 91. His contributions to railroad history live on.

IN MEMORIAM

Mike Sypult notified us that two people who had been involved with the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chap- ter of NRHS passed away in late January 2020. We offer our condolences to their families.

Dr. Robert D. Lundeen, 90, of Springdale, died January 28, 2020, and de- parted this eternal life and was welcomed into Heaven by his Savior. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Dr. Orville and Letos Lundeen, loving wife Doris Hilburn Lundeen, and brother William Lundeen. He is survived by his two children Robert Lundeen II and Lisa Lundeen (Gaddy/Ingle), and three grand-dogs, Pinkie, Zoey, and Xena. Dr. Lundeen was born August 15,1929, and had a remarkable career as a chiropractor for over 50 years. He received his Bachelor's Degree and his Doctor in Chiropractic at Logan College in St. Louis, Mo. He served in the Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged as a Corporal. Robert loved being a chiropractor and had a deep desire to help others. He also loved farming and the days he did not work in his office you could see him on his tractor. He was known for his healing hands and his knowledge of the human body was paramount. Robert had a love for steam locomotives and received his boiler operators license to operate steam trains as a hobby. He could be seen dressed in his striped overalls and railroad hat. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Railway Historical Society or Circle of Life Hos- pice.

- continued next page - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 7

IN MEMORIAM

George Gerrish Alison Jr., a retired rural mail carrier who lived on Lake Elmdale, died Jan. 28, 2020, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital in Little Rock. He was 59. He was born Sept. 21, 1960, at Liberty, Mo., to George and Martha Yancey Alison. The family moved to Fayetteville in 1965, where he attended public schools, graduating from Fayetteville High School in 1978. He also attended the Sam M. Walton College of Business before leaving for work opportunities. As a young man, he worked at McDonalds, where he said he got to know kids as customers. Then he worked at IGA, where he got to know all the kids' parents as customers, and then he worked at Walmart, where he got to know them as whole families. He worked more than 30 years as a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Ser- vice, delivering mail on routes that started out as country roads but which became more and more urbanized during his career. His greatest joy on the job was meeting people along his routes who came out to the road for their mail and stayed for conversations with George. He retired in 2018. Like his father, George had a sardonic sense of humor that continued throughout his life, and like his father, he seemingly collected everything under the sun, from TV Guide magazines to relics and ephemera of the Frisco Railway. He also enjoyed bicycling and birdwatching. He was a member of the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Fayetteville. He was happiest at his lake house, rain or shine, planning projects, working crossword puzzles and loving his family, friends and pets. He followed his heart and was methodically enthusiastic about living. He was a hum- ble, patient and kind person, firm in his own beliefs but respectful of others. He was preceded in death by his father; a younger brother, James Alexander Alison; and a long-time friend, John Stephens. Survivors include his wife, Eunice "Uni" Delateja; his mother, Martha Yancey Alison; a daughter, Taylor Alison Hight and husband Will; a son, Joshua Hayes Mauthe Alison and wife Gina; a stepson, Chris Brewer; a sister, Betty Arambel and husband Dave; a brother, Charles Alison and wife Alison Alison; nieces Sara Ruckenbrod and husband Ray, Hanna Robbins and husband Kabel, and Martha Arambel; a nephew, Ernie Arambel; step-nieces Leah Allison and Mae Arambel; step-nephews John Arambel and Luke Fowler; and sever- al grandchildren, great-nieces and great-nephews. Memorials may be made to the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale for its ongoing preservation of railroad history, or to either the Springdale or Fayetteville humane shelters. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 8

ABMT NRHS Chapter Meeting Minutes ̶ January 16, 2020 Meeting of the Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society at the J. Reilly McCarren Transportation Museum, A&M Depot, Springdale, AR. Address: ABMT Chapter, Nat. Railway Historical Soc., PO Box 1303, Springdale, AR 72765-1303  Call to Order and Previous Minutes. Meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm by the President, Gary McCullah. 14 members and one visitor were present. The November minutes were approved.  Treasurer. Rosanne Hofer reported we paid $792 for the Christmas Dinner train, collected $60 in dues, leaving a checking account balance of $2,299.33. The other accounts are unchanged.  NRHS. Director Ken Eddy reported that the Heritage Grants proposals are due at the end of Janu- ary. Most of these grants have gone to non-chapter groups. There is approximately $48,000 total for the grants with $5,000 being the largest amount granted to a recipient. We should consider applying for one of these grants possibility to help with the scanning and cataloging of Condren slide collection. Elections are coming up and every member should have received the list of names.  Miscellaneous. (1) Gary McCullah said that he would be out of town for the March meeting and needed someone to preside. Also, he has copies of Arkansas Railroader magazine if anyone was interested. (2) Allison Lee said she had spoken to Brenda about ways to help out with the excursion trains. (3) The dedi- cation of Malcolm to the Chapter in submitting the minutes under difficult circumstances was recognized.  Membership. Treasurer Rosanne Hofer reminded members that the dues are due and they are $12 per person. Although he had to be absent, Secretary Malcolm Cleaveland wants to remind members that it is time to renew your membership. Chapter membership is $12. Give it to the Secretary or the Treasurer, or mail it to the chapter at the post office box address above. To renew your membership with national NRHS, you can renew it on the secure website www.NRHS.org , or you can mail a check to NRHS Membership, PO Box 31074, St. Louis, MO 63131-0074. Annual dues are $50 for an individual or $57 for a family. Fami- ly members are sent separate $50 dues renewals. [Ed. - Please note Hugh’s comment on page 4 about online renewal problems, and preference to mail your renewal.]  Scrambler Newsletter. Having just recently taken over as the editor, Jim Gattis requested help with articles. He would like to prepare articles on A&M’s present-day operating patterns on the north and the south ends, so if anyone has any information and/or pictures of the trains and the areas along these routes, he would appreciate assistance in putting together an article. Another possible article would be based on photographs that our members might want to share about any rail trips or events they have taken in the past.  Old Business. (1) Mike Sypult reported that Jan Condren had approved the picking up and cataloging of portions of her husband’s slide collection. (2) Al Kaeppel said he would take care of the certificates but they needed help with setting up/down for the train show (Feb. 29, in Bentonville). They need someone with a vehicle such as a van or covered truck to transport the 4 wooden pieces that must be kept dry while in transport. Please contact Gary or Al if you can assist. (3) RailCamp. There is currently one applicant, Garon Lee. His mother, Allison Lee, said she was willing to take brochures to some of the local schools. The cost for Rail Camp is $1,390. Jim Gattis said he talked to Becky Gerstung at the Conference in Dallas recently, and she said only a few scholarships also include the travel expenses for RailCamp. The group discussed paying for travel, all, some part or if it is needed by the individual. Original Motion made by Jim Gattis and then admended by Gary MCCullah was if the club’s nominee was accepted to RailCamp, the club would pay the cost for RailCamp, currently at $1,390, and if the nominee had a need for travel, the club would pay up to ½ cost of travel. The nominee THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 9 ABMT NRHS Chapter Meeting Minutes ̶ Jan. 16, 2020 (continued)

would be responsible for the application fee, currently at $50. Motion was passed. (4) Bob Stark requested that the club members have more information about possible RailCamp candidates earlier in the process. The club will need to start the process earlier in the fall and try to have possible candidates presented to the membership.  New Business. Al Kaeppel wanted to make sure that members who attend Conferences have at least their fees paid by the club. He was assured that they could be paid by the club, but they must submit an in- voice to the treasurer before they can be paid. He also reminded members that he has been member of the local and national chapter for 20 years and has noticed that the number of local club members joining the national organization has been decreasing. He encouraged all members to also join the national organization.  Train Talk. Jim Gattis noticed in late Fall that BNSF has installed a new chain link fence on the north edge of their Monett yard, which greatly increase the difficulty of taking photographs.  Program. Meeting adjourned about 7:55 pm. After a short break, two programs were presented. (1) Steve Tharp presented a collection of photos he took while chasing UP 4014 across Iowa. (2) Mike Sypult presented a program he had developed and presented for the Cincinnati, AR Historical Soci- ety on the Ozark & Cherokee Central Railroad. Both were excellent quality and well represented the talents and abilities of our membership. Submitted by Lynn Cleaveland

Mike Sypult beginning the Ozark & Cherokee Central presentation. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 10

If you have a news story about a railroad place, submit it to the editor at [email protected]

The Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail - Part 3 by J. L. Gattis There are five counties between Texarkana and Little Rock (not counting the counties that these two cities are in). Rail station structures that are over a century old remain in the county seats of four of the five counties; in addition, there is another in a rail junction town. These structures account for two operating railroad offices, three Amtrak stops, and three museums that include some railroad content – yes, some buildings presently are serving more than one function. The December issue focused on the history of the rail lines – “the common thread” – that linked these five towns, starting with the Cairo & Fulton. The second installment, in January, examined Malvern, Arkadelphia, and Gurdon depots. This third issue pre- sents the final two towns – Prescott and Hope – and their sta- tions. The mile post numbers are from a 1970s employee timetable. It is about 70 miles along I-30 from Hope to Malvern. Parallel US 67 is slower, but goes through the downtowns, and is closer to the rails of the Union Pacific and the depots; in some towns, “old” US 67 is Map of southwestern Arkansas railroads in the mid-1900s, with the five featured the street alongside the towns in the Texarkana-to-Little Rock corridor highlighted. station. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 11 Along the Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail - In the Early 1900s Maps from the Library of Con- gress, Geography and Map Divi- sion, provide a glimpse of the railroad station layouts in the early 1900s. Most were by the Sanborn Map Company, for fire insurance purpos- es. Note that the “older” depots (e.g., Malvern, Prescott) were typically placed between pairs of tracks, while the next generation depots (Hope 1916 map, Arka- delphia 1911 map) that replaced older ones were situated to one side of the main tracks, although a side track stub may still be found at the front of the building.

Prescott - 1900  Cotton certainly played a prominent role, with one cotton platform on a track parallel to the main, and another on a spur that crossed over East 1st Street (under the North arrow). This depot is at the intersection of Main Street. The current depot is three blocks to the southwest. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 12 Along the Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail - In the Early 1900s (continued) Hope - 1900 (piecing together three 1900 Sanborn maps)  Positioned between the tracks is the“ St.L.I.M.&N.S.R.R.” (with an extra letter in the name) depot. The dimensions are similar to those of the present-day former Cairo & Fulton structure at the corner of Division and Walnut, where there was a “cotton platform ” in 1900.  “Pacific Express” is located immediately west of the passenger depot.  The two railroads (Iron Mountain and Arkansas & Louisiana) occupied a 250 foot wide expanse labeled as “1st St.”. The 1908 version of the map listed this street as “Division”, the name it is known by today.

The 1913 map (not included) showed a depot similar to that of today, with the C&F building moved to its present position, and labeled as “freight depot”.

3 1 4

2 THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 13 Hope - 1916

The railroads and related facilities in Hope, 1916. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

THIS MAP MAY BE USEFUL WHEN READING THE “REMINISCING” STORY ON PAGE 15. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 14 Along the Southwest Arkansas Depot Trail - Today’s Surviving Depots

Prescott – Mile 442.4 The Prescott depot served not only the Missouri Pacific, but also the Prescott & Northwest- ern until their passenger service ended in 1945. An MP schedule as late as 1968 still showed one of the two remaining pairs of passenger trains as stopping here. The Texas Eagle continued into 1971 – although by late 1970, the run had been truncated to St Louis-to-Texarkana – but it flew on through smaller towns like Prescott.  A part of the “Railroad Room” of the museum in Prescott. The item on By 1969, the building was on the floor beneath the left-side window is a scale that was used for weigh- the chopping block for demoli- ing freight. Other items include a P&NW strongbox, a lantern, old photo- tion. But late in the year, the graphs, and – the crown jewel – the P&NW wood caboose (below) that railroad agreed to lease the de- had been in storage, but moved adjacent to the depot in 2016. –Photos pot and parking lot land to the by J. L. Gattis City of Prescott. In March 1970, the MP sold the one story brick depot building for $1 to the City. The initial intent was to use the space for City offices and courtroom, but the idea was nixed due to noise from passing trains. It was briefly used for adult education classes, but again, train noise ended that use. As local plans for the Cen- tennial Celebration were rev- ving up in 1972, the depot was used as an operating headquar- ters; during this era, Potlatch (which then operated a large TO VISIT plant in Prescott) and P&NW The Nevada County Depot and Museum is in Prescott at 403 W 1st offered train rides starting at the Street South (US 67 Business), at Olive St. Normal hours are Tuesday depot. In 1976, the Chamber of through Friday, 10 am – 4 pm; it is closed on holidays. Commerce occupied the build- NEARBY ATTRACTIONS ing, and a small museum collec- The Genesee & Wyoming operates the few remaining miles of the tion began in the north waiting Prescott & Northwestern from a base a few blocks away. The main cus- room. The depot was entered tomer is a tire plant on the southeast side of Interstate 30, near the in- into the National Register of terchange with US 371. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 15 Historic Places in 1978, No. 78000614. In 1992, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program awarded a small amount of money from the National Parks Service for building repairs and renovation. In 2000, using provisions in the Federal transportation bill, the Arkansas State Highway Commission awarded a large grant to the City for major renovation and restoration of the entire building. To accomplish this, the building was closed for most of 2002, and reopened in 2003. Today, the Nevada County Depot and Museum is gov- erned by a Board of Directors. Non-railroad content in- cludes various collections pertaining to the Civil War; in recent years, local preservation efforts have been directed toward the nearby Prairie DeAnn Battlefield. With a population of about 3000, Prescott is the small- est of the three towns that have a depot museum, yet Pres- cott’s preservation results are impressive – what you would expect only from a much larger population base. The Prescott & Northwestern As were so many shortlines in Arkansas, the Prescott & Northwestern was chartered in 1890 to facilitate lum- Official Guide, Jan. 1912 ber operations. Bemis & Whitaker soon acquired it, and For much of the 1900s, the P&NW was a larger over the years expanded its traffic base to include agricul- affair than it now is. The “Elberta Route” nick- tural products such as peaches, and gypsum-based indus- name arose from the peach harvest traffic it once try such as wallboard. Routed not far from the diamond hauled. mine near Murfreesboro, the railroad logo featured a peach inside a diamond shape. The Potlach lumber company took over in 1966. In 1994, a request was filed to abandon all but a few miles closest to Prescott. Potlatch closed their plant, Pinsley bought the line in 2010, then Genesee & Wyoming became the operator in 2015. Right: The P&NW emerges from the shed to begin its work day. Below: The SW 1200 shoves a string toward the tire plant. – Photos by J. L. Gattis THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 16 Today’s Surviving Depots (continued)

Hope – Mile 457.7 The similar appearance of the surviving depots at Malvern, Arkadelphia, Gurdon, and Prescott is a strong hint that they had common corporate origins. The depot at Hope stands out as having a somewhat different look. Besides the or- ange hue to the exterior brick, the Hope station has a breezeway in the middle, while the others have porticos at the end; granted, the end-porch at Malvern has now been enclosed to create the space for Amtrak. Hope, as did many of the other towns, became a hub for projected branch lines, both real and imagined. In 1876, the Washington & Hope was chartered, and in 1879 had daily. What was the Frisco is now Genesee & Wy- extended 10 miles to link the former Confederate oming’s Kiamichi Railroad. Most of the L&A in Ar- state capital with the main line. Perhaps reflecting kansas was pulled up; abandonment of the line was greater aspirations, the name changed in 1881 to Ar- processed in 1997. A few miles remain south of the kansas & Louisiana. In 1887, the road went into re- UP line in Hope. ceivership. Eventually, there were 26 route miles When it came time to talk of depot preservation, from Hope to Nashville. An extension to meet the Hope had the inside track. A native son, William DeQueen & Eastern at what the map showed as Per- Sutton, had graduated from the University of Arkan- kins, but in reality was little more than a spot in the sas law school, joined a prestigious Little Rock law forest, was completed in 1957. firm, and was an attorney for first Missouri Pacific A railroad projection that actually became reality and later Union Pacific in Arkansas. Sutton recounted was the Louisiana & Arkansas, which entered Hope “In 1939, ...the third grade...class boarded the train at in mid-1903. The line eventually went from Hope Hope Depot and traveled to Little Rock.” The Hope toward Shreveport, and along the Red River valley to depot is #92000610 in the NRHS. A late 1994 news New Orleans. Later, the L&A became part of Kansas item, repeated in the Arkansas Railroader, stated that City Southern. From 1928 until the early 1960s, a the in-progress renovation included cleaning bricks through St Louis–Shreveport sleeper switched at facing the tracks. Hope between MP and L&A, on trains such as MP’s As with the other depot museums, railroad items Texas Eagle and L&A’s Shreveporter. (such as a caboose lantern, an urn for cool water, a The Arkansas & Choctaw was begun in 1895, to Railway Express cash box, and a T&P step stool) are build westward from Ashdown (about 30 miles west just one of many categories of memorabilia presented of Hope) into Indian Territory. In 1902, it became the at the Hope Visitor Center & Museum. St Louis, San Francisco & New Orleans (part of the A City website mentions the former Cairo & Ful- Frisco), in late 1903 worked from Ashdown toward ton depot a block east; see the photograph on the cov- Hope, and had an end-to-end meet with the L&A. er. The family that had owned it donated it to the City Talk of proceeding further eastward toward the Mis- in 2001. The building now serves the community by sissippi River never materialized. providing space for the Southwest Arkansas Arts Today, Amtrak uses Union Pacific’s rails to call Council. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 17 Hope – Local Reminiscing

In addition to being involved with the Hempstead had a separate freight station on the south side of County Historical Society, Keenan Williams has Third Street (US 67). The railroad covered the exteri- lived near what were the Frisco and the Louisiana & or with asbestos siding in the 1950’s. After the L&A Arkansas tracks for much of his life. So, he has had left, the building had other uses, including an auxilia- not only a figurative but also a literal front row seat ry post office, antique store, and used car sales. The to a lot of railroad history in Hope. Here are some of structure, somewhat modified, still stands in its origi- his recollections dating to the mid-1900s that he was nal location. kind enough to recount for Scrambler readers. The St Louis-San Francisco came in from the north down the middle of Vine Street (renamed to Louisiana), crossed the MoPac, then had a depot between Second and Third Streets, across from L&A’s freight station. The Frisco dark-red “Coffeyville” brick structure had a passenger office on one end, freight on the other. The SLSF yard extended from Third to Ninth Streets. After converging to a single track, the layout almost immediately opened up into the L&A yard. As the nature of railroad operations The L&A station, with a KCS bay window caboose. changed, some people anticipated the end of the de- –Photo by Keenan Williams, used by permission. pot and tried to save it, but the railroad came in and demolished it in 1976. At one time, the KCS stationed a switch engine in the south side of town. About 20 miles of the now abandoned line are owned by a running club, whose long term goal is to create a running trail. The L&A remnant in Hope is used by both the UP and the Ki- amichi. The UP brings in cars around the tight curve, sometimes twice a day. Kiamichi seems to do the switching. Southwest Arkansas was the last bastion of regular steam service on the MP. Due to weight limitations on trestles and bridges, ten-wheelers continue to roam the Womble Branch (Gurdon to Norman) into the mid-1950s. Over time, the MP replaced some cross- The Frisco station, nearing the end of its days. Note ing with rock fill, while others were upgraded by us- the in-street rails in the lower left edge of the frame. ing former roundhouse turntables for bridges. When –Photo by Keenan Williams, used by permission. improvements allowed diesels to come in, the engines destined for scrapping in North Little Rock were The L&A passenger trains used the Iron Moun- lined up in Gurdon. Before they could be moved, tain, later Missouri Pacific, depot. (Into the 1970s, someone stole the bearings! Temporary bearings, cre- there was an open freight platform across the tracks.) ated from tough red oak and bois d’arc wood, were Proceeding from the south, they would follow a tight sufficient to get the engines to their destination and curve to the right (east) to enter the station area, un- demise. This left an 0-6-0 switcher in Hope as the load, then back down to their yard until ready to go steam holdout. into service again. As previously alluded to, the L&A THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 18

Above – KEEP ON THE RIGHT TRACK. Near the Hope Lawyers and the Railroad depot, what began as the Washington & Hope is now As a child around 1960, for a while the young the Nashville Sub. Sutton family (see section about the Hope Depot and Below – HOPE CROSSING. Where the Frisco crossed the lawyer for the railroad) lived across the street. I the MoPac, view toward south. Note the switch-like can recall one of his sons stating – as in children re- peating things they hear their parents say – some- track points just past the street crossing, to keep er- thing to the effect that juries could be prejudiced and rant cars from fouling the UP main. return unfair verdicts against the railroad. – Editor – Photos by J. L. Gattis THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 19 and ... A Little More History

As previously alluded to, Hope was a target of many projected extensions, many of which proved to be hopeless. On this and the following page are  From an 1885 Official Guide, an intended line a few of them. (Fortunately, the town fared much from Hope southeastward to Magnolia. better than did some railroad promoters!) In an 1883 edition of a predecessor to Railway Age, one report stated the Washington & Hope, rechartered as Arkansas & Louisiana, “is to be extended to Monroe, La.”, while another snippet in the same edition said the A&L will extend 75 miles west to meet the Frisco in Indian Territory, and southeasterly for 112 miles to Homer, La.

An 1888 map by Rand McNally suggested that the Iron Mountain had a branch southward from Hope to “new” Lewisville. When the Cotton Belt built through, it had gone a couple of miles to the south of established “old” Lewisville. While “old” Lewisville faded, “new” Lewisville not only acquired the roles that the old town had previously performed, such as the county administration, it also acquired the town name.

Cram’s 1895 map again showed a Hope-to- Lewisville line, but this time as the Hope & Lewis- ville. Other maps of the time, such as a Frisco map in the September 1902 Rand McNally Official Rail- way Guide, showed a line here. 

A June 1903 entry in The Railway Age said that the Houston East & West Texas proposed a line from Shreveport through Texarkana to Hope.

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 20 and ... A Little More History (continued)

The Land Department of the Iron Mountain and the Little Rock & Ft Smith offered a booklet (S. L. Kay, Southwest Arkansas, 1904) targeted at visitors to the St Louis 1904 World’s Fair. Included was this map showing the extensive land grants the railroad had been awarded, and in turn was hawking to prospective settlers. It, too, showed a proposed railroad southward from Hope to the Lewisville connection with the Cotton Belt line that proceeded on to Shreveport. Also, there is a proposed route emanating from the existing Arkansas & Louisiana branch (between Hope and Nash- ville) northward to Ft Smith.

TO VISIT The Hope Visitor Center & Museum is at 100 East Division, at the intersection with Main Street. This is two blocks north of the US 67 Business Route, 3rd Street. Normal hours are Sunday 1 to 4 pm; Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm; Saturday 9 am to 5 pm. The tele- phone number is 870-722-2580. Admission is free. Again from a 1960 timetable, NEARBY ATTRACTIONS the service and the sleeper that Being the early childhood home of President connected at Hope. Clinton, Hope features related historical sites. During the 1920s, Hope began to hold an annual Watermelon Festival. This was later dis- continued, but then revived. About the early events, the Festival website states: “...citizens served ice-cold watermelon to passengers on the many trains which stopped in Hope … These early festivals brought upwards of 20,000 people in a day to Hope.” The 2020 version is planned for early August. THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER February 2020 Page 21 The truncated end of the Prescott & Northwestern, where the expensive crossing over I-30 is being reclaimed by nature. - Photo by J. L. Gattis