Nacogdoches Depot Renovation

Excerpted from a story
By JOHNNY JOHNSON
The Daily Sentinel
Thursday, October 19, 2006
(edited for space)

It's funny how some things tend to come around full circle. The construction of Southern Pacific railroad depot in 1911, in many ways breathed new life into the city of Nacogdoches. Nearly a century later, the city was able to repay that favor by shaking off years, ripping out everything that didn't belong, restoring that which was missing, and finally, reviving the worn-down depot, to which much was owed. Thursday, the city opened the doors for an hour to showcase the newly restored structure. Local historian Dr. Archie P. McDonald noted that the train depot was a place between places, where people arrived and people left, and it was the lifeblood to Nacogdoches. According to McDonald, without the combination of the Houston East & West Texas rail line and state Hwy. 21, Nacogdoches might have remained a historic town that never grew. Mayor Bob Dunn said he was pleased to be able to have such a fine facility to show to the public — and judging from the "ooos" and "ahhhs" from the crowd, the depot was a hit.
Older generations stood around recounting stories about what they remembered about the depot, while the younger, more energetic crowd walked around the perimeter, trying to decipher some of the penciled-in historical graffiti that was preserved during the restoration process. The depot restoration was made possible through a statewide transportation enhancement grant through TxDOT. That's why, combined with the railroad's importance to Nacogdoches, city officials said they felt it was only appropriate to earmark the building as a transportation museum — showcasing the historical impact transportation has had on Nacogdoches.

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A few quick facts about the depot:

In 1883, the first railroad came to Nacogdoches, brought by a man named Paul Bremond.

• The first railroad was called the Houston East & West Texas, or HE&WT.
• With the coming of the railroad, the economy of East Texas began to shift from farming and cotton growing to lumber and other industries.
• The first rail lines through Nacogdoches were narrow gauge. They were converted to standard gauge in one day, June 29, 1894 by force of 1000 men without disrupting the regular train schedule.
• The first depot in Nacogdoches was wooden and burned to the ground after being stuck by lighting on May 21, 1910.
• The present-day brick depot was built by Southern Pacific and opened April 3, 1911.
• The old Southern Pacific station is the only surving passenger depot on the old HE&WT line. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.