Rail history of tri-county region explored at railroad symposium

Corsicana Daily Sun, Texas
·2 min read

Oct. 11—Teague, Texas—The first Tri-County Railroad Symposium will roll into Teague on Saturday, October 21st with a fun-filled day exploring the railroad history of this region. Activities will take place at the Teague Public Library, the Historic Teague Hotel and the Burlington-Rock Island (B-RI) Railroad Museum. The full schedule is included below.

The railroad was the major factor in the economic and social development of this tri-county area in the late 1800s; the railroad shaped our counties and communities, as it did the entire State of Texas.

Commerce centered on the railroad: goods and services arrived on the train, and cattle, cotton and other produce went to market on the train. Communities and businesses sprouted and thrived alongside the railroad, and towns literally perished when the tracks were routed through another area.

The Symposium's goal is to tell the story of the railroad and raise awareness of the need to preserve this important part of our history. The day-long event offers something for everyone.

—Children's Activities, Teague Public Library, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Storytelling & Videos and Crafts

—Burlington-Rock Island Railroad Museum, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Docent-led tours of this newly renovated museum that served as the Teague depot since 1906

—Railroad historians, Historic Teague Hotel, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.:

◦ Dillon McAdams, "Rails, Depots, Locomotives & the Texas & Brazos Valley Railroad and Teague's End of the Line"

◦ Ron Maxfield, "Riding the Interurban Line Corsicana to Dallas"

◦ Steve Allen Goen, "The Passenger Trains of Freestone, Limestone and Navarro Counties"

◦ Dennis Hogan, "The Mexia-Nelleva Cut-Off"

◦ Bob Batson, "Hearne's Importance to the Houston and Texas Central Railroad"

"We are very excited to bring this inaugural railroad history event to our tri-county area. The railroad symbolizes a bygone era when our communities were literally being carved out of the land. The pioneers who settled here helped bring the railroads, and the railroads helped the people, businesses and communities grow and prosper," says Dr. MaryJane McReynolds, Chair of the Navarro County Historical Commission.

The Symposium is a collaboration of the Freestone, Limestone and Navarro County Historical Commissions, Tehuacana Heritage Society, Teague Historic Preservation Society, Teague Public Library, Teague Hotel and the B-RI Railroad Museum. These organizations strive to preserve Texas history and heritage for the education, enjoyment and economic benefit of current and future generations.

Seating is limited. To RSVP for the event: tehuacanahs2020@gmail.com