Arkansas Railroad History
Location: Arkansas, United States
Surnames/tags: Arkansas united_states United_States_Railroad
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Contents |
Arkansas Railroad History
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| Railroad Going Down the Track |
The history of railroads in Arkansas is a story of growth, progress, and transformation. From the mid-19th century to the present day, railroads have played a significant role in shaping the state and its people.
Importance of Railroads
In the late 1800s, railroads spread across the United States, connecting communities and transforming the way people lived and did business. It was not just a means of transportation. It helped tame the wild frontier and left us with a legacy of legends, tall tales and ballads that intermingled with our history to form a unique tapestry and give us a vivid colorful past. Arkansas was no exception. The arrival of railroads in the state brought new opportunities and changes that would shape its history for generations to come.
One of the most notable changes was the growth of small towns along the rail lines. Creating towns where none existed, while eliminating others due to their lack of ready rail access. Before the arrival of railroads, many of these towns were isolated, with limited access to markets and commerce. But as trains began to crisscross the state, small communities sprang along the rail lines. These towns became hubs of commerce and transportation, with goods and people flowing in and out by rail. For those lucky enough to get a depot station for their town, it was an economic boom that ushered in prosperity for years to come.
Even though Arkansas was still a rural area, with most communities isolated from the rest of the world. It impacted their everyday lives and livelihood. Farmers could now easily transport their crops to markets, leading to an increase in agriculture production and exports. This brought new economic opportunities to rural areas and helped boost the state's economy as a whole. But the impact of railroads wasn't limited to economic growth. The trains also made it easier for people to travel, leading to an increase in immigration and a more diverse population. You could now travel to distant towns in the state and return the same day, in what might have taken days or weeks before. This helped shape the cultural fabric of the state, bringing new ideas and perspectives to small towns across Arkansas. Perhaps for the first time, it made us feel whole, part of the state, the same way we were part of the community.
Overview Of National Rail System
By the time railroads began to expand into Arkansas in the mid-19th century, the national rail system was rapidly growing, connecting cities and towns across the country, and revolutionizing the way goods and people were transported. During this period, several railway companies were operating in the United States, both on a national and local scale.
| Name | Mark | Miles | Charter | Opened | End | Successor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo and Fulton Railroad | C&F | 68 | 1853 | 1871 | 1872 | Cairo, Arkansas and Texas Railroad |
| Iron Mountain | 1853 | 1874 | 1878 | Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad | ||
| Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad | 700 | 1851 | 1878 | 1883 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad | |
| Cairo, Arkansas and Texas Railroad | CA&T | 143 | 1872 | 1875 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad | |
| St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad | St. L., I. M. & S. | 1,500 | 1874 | 1883 | 1917 | Missouri Pacific |
| Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad | LR&FS | 200 | 1853 | 1876 | 1883 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad |
| Southwestern Arkansas and Indian Territory Railroad | 10 | 1887 | 1900 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad | ||
| Memphis and Little Rock | M&LR | 1853 | 1858 | 1898 | Choctaw and Memphis Railroad | |
| Choctaw and Memphis Railroad | 200 | 1900 | Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad | |||
| Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad | CO&G | 1900 | 1902 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | ||
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | CRIP, RI, ROCK | 10,699 | 1851 | 1852 | 1980 | Liquidated and sold in parts to Union Pacific and St. Louis Southwestern |
| Arkansas Western Railroad | 32 | 1901 | 1904 | Kansas City Southern | ||
| St. Louis Southwestern Railway Compay (Cotton Belt) | SSW | 1864 | 1875 | 1932 | Southern Pacific Railroad | |
| Arkansas Central Railway | 40 | 1872 | 1901 | St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern | ||
| Hot Springs Branch | 21 | 1879 | 1901 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | ||
| Batesville and Brinkley | B&B | 71 | 1947 | became White and Black River Valley Railway before it closed. | ||
| Washington and Hope Railway | 9 | 1879 | 1882 | Nashville branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern | ||
| Texas and St. Louis Railway | T&SL | 340 | 1883 | 1886 | St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas | |
| Pine Bluff, Monroe and New Orleans Railway | 1884 | 1019 | St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt) | |||
| Paragould and Buffalo Island Railway | 38 | 1888 | 1907 | St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt) | ||
| St. Louis and San Franciso Railway (Frisco) | SLSF | 6,574 | 1876 | 1980 | Burlington Northern Railroad | |
| Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway | QA&P | 117 | 1902 | 1911 | St. Louis and San Franciso Railway (Frisco) | |
| Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad | ATN | 187 | 1897 | 1948 | St. Louis and San Franciso Railway (Frisco) | |
| Missouri Pacific Railroad | MoPac | 13,318 | 1865 | 1982 | Union Pacific Railroad |
Early Railroads
In 1850 and 1851, Captain Joshua Barney was ordered by the Secretary of War and the Chief Engineer of the War Department to travel to Arkansas and survey a railroad route from St. Louis, Missouri to the Big Bend of the Red River between Texas and Arkansas. Thus began the railroad age in Arkansas.
A. Introduction of first railroads in the late 1850s Prior to the Civil War, there was only one railway line operating in the state of Arkansas. A 38-mile stretch between Hopefield (present-day West Memphis) on the Mississippi and Madison, Arkansas on the St. Francis River. This stretch of railway had fallen into disrepair and was virtually unusable by the end of the war.
Expansion Of Rail Network
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| Governor Powell Clayton Leading Railroad Advocate |
While in 1858 there was not a mile of steam railroad anywhere west of the Mississippi River, the national excitement over railroads spread to Arkansas as early as the mid-1830s. Numerous companies were formed, routes discussed, and land grants obtained. The first survey for the construction of a railroad in Arkansas was planned by Roswell Beebe, Grandison D. Royston, and Edward Cross, who were agents for the owners of what became the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Company. Captain Henry D. Shreve was in charge of the survey, which covered land from the northeastern corner to the southwestern corner of Arkansas.
After the war, an explosion of railroad activity took place. The governor of Arkansas during Reconstruction, Republican Powell Foulk Clayton, was a leading advocate for railroad development in the state. At the same time, he wielded a heavy hand, often using his influence and powers to approve or deny particular railroad projects.
By 1871, 86 railroad companies had been chartered in the state. Most only existed on paper and were controlled by fewer than 20 prominent politicians and their allies.
Robert Campbell Brinkley played a key role in repairing the railroad line on the eastern side of the state, which had fallen into disrepair during the Civil War. He negotiated and purchased iron in Great Britain to make rails. With financial support from George Peabody, a London financier, he built the Memphis and Little Rock railroad. The Memphis and Little Rock line began operation on August 21, 1871. The line advertised through service between Memphis and Argenta (present-day North Little Rock), but there was no bridge over White River, between DeValls Bluff and Brinkley. Passengers were forced to disembark and cross the river by boat, before continuing their journey.
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| Stephen Dorsey President of Cairo and Fulton Railroad |
In April 1873, the Baring Cross Bridge Company was incorporated to build a bridge across the Arkansas River from Argenta to Little Rock. The bridge was built and leased to the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Company. The first train crossed it on December 22, 1873. The Cairo and Fulton line controlled by Stephen Dorsey and his associates was responsible for the development of service to Walnut Ridge, Newport, Malvern, Emmett, Prescott and Hope. In January 1874, the railroad company connected the state, from the Missouri line north of Corning southwestern to Texarkana. There it is linked with the International Railway of Texas. With this linkage, trains began to run from St. Louis, Missouri to Texarkana. In May of that same year, Cairo & Fulton consolidated with the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad Company of Missouri to form the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad Company.
Senator Solon Borland and Representative Robert Ward Johnson of Arkansas introduced legislation to the United States Congress for the creation of the Memphis via Little Rock to Fulton, and from Helena via Little Rock to Fort Smith. The western portion of the state completed the railway connection from Fort Smith to Little Rock in 1876. The Little Rock & Fort Smith was responsible for the development of Conway, Morrilton, Russellville, and Atkins. Charles G. Scott, a Van Buren merchant, heavily promoted the line. The line became operational and operated as the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad (LR&FS). Later connections were made to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Network.
Later that same decade, the Missouri and Kansas line was developed, which ran from Helena through Forrest City, Wynne, Paragould, and Piggott to the Missouri state line. The Santa Fe Railroad used this stretch connecting the Atlantic and Pacifici coasts. Other Arkansas railway companies formed in the 1870s include the Little Rock, Mississippi, & Texas; the Little Rock & Arkansas Valley; and the Little Rock, Mississippi River & Texas.
As a nationwide recession hit, all railroad development stopped around 1878-79 and would not resume until the 1880s with an influx of new investments.
Role of Railroads in Growth and Connecting Cities
Railroads were of great importance for small cities in Arkansas, as they provided vital connections to larger cities and facilitated the movement of goods and people. The railway lines also attracted businesses and industries to the areas they served, leading to economic growth and job opportunities.
Impact of Railroads
To attract railroad lines to their communities, small cities in Arkansas attempted to persuade the railway companies. These efforts included financial incentives, providing land for railway construction, and lobbying local politicians. Some cities also improved their infrastructure, such as building hotels and depots, to make themselves more appealing to the railway company.
The Searcy Branch Railroad
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| Railroad Station in Searcy |
The Iron Mountain Railroad was a major player in the effort to complete the Cairo and Fulton rail line through Searcy, Arkansas and across the White River in the late 19th century. The completion of the rail line was seen as a critical step in the region's development, as it would provide a direct rail connection between Cairo, Illinois and Fulton, Arkansas.
The rail line faced numerous challenges in its effort to complete the rail line, including difficult terrain and the need to build bridges across rivers and streams. To persuade the railroad to direct the line through their community and across the White River, the town council met and agreed to pay for the survey route and if their route was feasible to pay for the differences between the planned route and changes to go through Searcy.
The city appointed I. M. Moore as a special agent to serve as a liaison with Cairo & Fulton executives and to approximate the cost of locating the railway line and a depot within a half mile of White County Courthouse. In April of 1871, town voters approved $20,000 credit to connect Searcy to the main line. The hills between Searcy and Bald Knob made construction of the line difficult, and soon disagreements arose over the payment of bonuses. By July of 1872, many disgruntled citizens formed a rival Search Branch Railroad Company, with I. M. Moore as the President.
The rival line would extend as far as the Little Red River. B. D. Turner agreed to donate the land to build a depot in Searcy, and I. M. Moore and B. C. Black received contracts to build a wooden track for a passenger and freight car, both horse-drawn. Contractors were paid $5,000 in cash and issued $8,000 in railroad bonds with the line due to open on January 1, 1873.
In 1874, the Cairo & Fulton was acquired by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern railroad. The Yarnell brothers purchased the Searcy Branch Line, who eventually extended the rail line to West Point.
The Hot Springs Railroad
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| Joseph Reynolds, President of Hot Springs Branch Railroad |
Some short rail lines can trace their history back to folklore, as to why they came about. The Hot Springs Railroad that ran between Malvern, Arkansas and Hot Springs is one of those legends. In the early 1870s, Joseph "Diamond Joe" Reynolds, a native of Chicago, Illinois, traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas to assess the opportunities and possible fortunes to be made. Train service at the time only traveled as far as Malvern, at which point Reynolds had to disembark the train and board and travel by wagon the rest of the way. However, as luck would have it, the wagon soon broke down halfway there, and he and the party had to walk by foot the rest of the trip. On reaching his destination, he began plans to develop a branch railroad connecting the two cities. On any other day, he might have arrived uneventfully at his destination. Not to see any opportunity or willing to accept the risk of investing in a new mode of travel such a short distance. Would people be willing to pay for a train service? Was there enough need for the expense? and risk? As they say so colorfully in the south, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, and Reynolds leaped at the opportunity to build track between the towns, sometimes called the "Diamond Jo Line". He began construction in 1875 and a year later opened the twenty-one mile track.
Railroad Development in the 1880s
As a nationwide recession hit, all railroad development stopped around 1878-79 and would not resume until the 1880s with an influx of new investments. At the beginning of 1880, there were 822 miles of operating railroad tracks in Arkansas. The eighties would see significant growth and expansion of rail service in Arkansas. By this time, river towns that had once old their livelihood and growth to waterways quickly saw shipping by water was too expensive, slow and unable to compete with railroad service. Towns that once could not compete with the river cities prospered on the established rail lines. It also brought with it immigration and new population growth across the state. Rural Arkansas still had plenty of land to be settled and cultivated, and newspapers and government officials touted the era of new prosperity. The rail road took ads in newspapers with offers of tours of the state and farmland. The Southern and Western Immigration Convention met in Little Rock to showcase the state's attractiveness as an immigration destination. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad employed 300 immigration agents to actively promote immigration into the state.
Railroad development helped establish the timber and mining industries in Arkansas. While railroads were a boom for many communities, they also brought with them downsides. As new rail services spread across the United States, the state's cotton and woolen-cloth industries suffered, many of them going out of business, because they were unable to compete with cheaper cloth from the northern and eastern mills. Because Arkansas was still a rural state, freight rates were higher than those in more established major lines. Making it impossible for these industries to compete or stop the influx of cheap new alternatives. With large monopolies controlled by capitalists, railroads rose to a position of privilege and power in Arkansas, paying few taxes, exercising considerable influence in all levels of state government. In some corners of the state, it might have seemed Arkansas took a step back, and was regulated to the position of a colony to northern states. The state provides raw materials to the northern to manufacture and sell the more profitable finished products back to the state.
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| Jay Gould Railroad Baron |
Popular backlash against railroads began to take roots in the late 19th century. The State's General Assembly began to assess property taxes on the railroad. Larger railroads claimed their charters exempted them from taxation. It would eventually be settled in the U.S. Supreme Court, which affirmed the states right to tax the railroads.
Perhaps this stimulus began to consolidate the industry. In 1882, Jason "Jay" Gould, a Wall Street financier, acquired the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern for $2 million. Shortly afterwards, he visited the state, was still eager for expansion, and bought the Little Rock & Fort Smith line, making it the largest railroad system in the state. He would serve as president of the line until his death in 1892.
Railroad workers in Arkansas were among the first laborers to unionize in the state, and in 1885 with the Association with Knights of Labor went on strike against Jay's railroad line. Railroad strikes in Little Rock and other cities turned violent, forcing Governors Simon P. Hughes and William Meade Fishback to call out the state militia to quell the violence and restore order.
The Olyphant Train Robbery
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| Olyphant Train Robbers |
As rail roads spread across America, they became targets of robberies the same as the stage coaches before them. Arkansas railroads were no exception, especially due to the fact that they were near the lawless frontier. There is one particular high-profile train robbery that happened in the rural small town of Olyphant, Jackson County, Arkansas in 1893. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway No. 51 had pulled off to the side of the track to wait and allow a much faster train known as the Cannonball Express to pass. Having left Popular Bluff, Missouri for Little Rock, Arkansas, it was stopped on the tracks in the town of Olypant, about seven miles from Newport. There were about 300 passengers on the train, many of whom were wealthy and returned from the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Stopped on the tracks, it was an easy target. As it set there waiting, gunshots rang out. The conductor, William P. McNally, an Irish-born immigrant, was the conductor rush through the passenger compartment, warning them to hide their valuables. It was a train robbery. McNally borrowed a gun from one of the passengers, a man named Charles Lamb, and went to the front of the train to confront the would-be robbers. He fired at the robbers, only to be shot himself. The whole ordeal lasted about twenty minutes, with the train robbers making off with about $6,000 before making their getaway. McNally died from his gunshot wounds.
After the robbery, the train pulled into Little Rock, Arkansas. There was much outrage over the robbery and death of Mcnally, such a beloved character in the railroad business that thousands attended his funeral. The incident caused a statewide fervor to find those responsible and hold them accountable. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway offered a $300 reward for the capture of those responsible. The Pacific Express, owner of the Cannonball Express, and Governor Fishback, also promised rewards. In the ensuing manhunt, any "suspicious" characters were arrested and harassed all over Arkansas. The papers were filled with stories on the front page with near-captures and exciting gunfights with suspects.
Almost a year later (about 9 months), on December 1893, four major suspects were arrested: Tom Brady, Jim Wyrick, William Albert Mansker, and George Padgett. The first three were tried and convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to hanged. Padgett, who testified against the others, was spared the death penalty.
During the trial, Padgett exposed the plans of the robbery. They had been in Indian Territory peddling whiskey, when he and Brady came up with the idea to rob a train. Their intentions were to rob the Cannon Ball Express, which was carrying cash and gold from the Federal Reserve Bank. Mansker was the only member of the gang with a history of robbing trains, but it was the get-rich-quick scheme they couldn't pass up. While planning their robbery, they learned of the stop at Olyphant. After hearing that "a bunch of rich folks from Chicago" would be riding it, they quickly changed their plans and decided to target No. 51.
Brady, Wyrick and Mansker were hanged on April 6, 1894, outside the city jail in Newport, Arkansas.
The Frisco
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| Coonskin Logo. |
In 1853, the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Company, commonly known as Frisco, was established to develop a route west to San Francisco and Arkansas, considered the frontier to the west. Although the line never built a rail road to San Francisco, California, it expanded Arkansas railroads and played an important role in the state's history.
The railroad entered the state across from Memphis, then ran northwest through Crittendon, Craighead, Poinsett, Lawrence, Sharp, and Fulton counties before passing into Missouri. It then re-entered the state near the northeast corner of Benton County and ran south through Rogers, Fayetteville, Van Burent and Fort Smith.
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| Railroad Bridge Van Buren to Fort Smith |
Frisco had a remarkable impact on the cultural and physical features of Arkansas infrastructure. The line was responsible for the Winslow Tunnel through the Boston Mountains, as well as the Van Buren railway bridge, across the Arkansas River. As part of its lasting legacy, both the towns of Winslow and Rogers are named for Frisco officials (Edward Winslow and Charles W. Rogers).
Arguably the Frisco's most identifiable feature was its unique logo and its origins in company folklore, which is a story that could only be told in rural America. A station agent in Neosho, Missouri augmented his income by trapping and skinning raccoons and selling the hides. He would tack the hides up to dry on the west end of the depot. One day, the Vice-President of the line, George Henry Nettleton, rolled up to the station to see in full view the coonskins tacked up to dry. When he confronted the station agent, about the use of company property for hide tanning. To which the station agent told him it was hard to support a family on his salary of $1.25 on a ten hour work day. Nettleton on hearing this said, "Don't you know railroading comes first?", and then with a grinned said, "Well, a hobby is different, how much for one of those coonskins?". Following the exchange, when he got back on the train, in his private car with the coonskin in tow, he sketched out the stretched coonskin on paper and wrote the words "FRISCO". It soon thereafter appeared in the corporate office, and the Frisco trademark was born.
Coal Mining
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| Coal Mine #11 near Hartford, Arkansas |
Railroad installation across the state empowered Arkansas, Coal Mining, to create a new industry. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Coal became king. It could not have come at a better time, that black, sooty, heavy rock was a necessary commodity for the Industrial Revolution. Dozens of coal mining companies and mining towns sprang across counties in western Arkansas. The first recorded mine in Arkansas was in Spadra Township in Johnson County. Soon new towns formed and mines opened in all surrounding counties. Among the dozens of coal mining companies, several were owned by Franklin Backe and Heber Denman, including the Mammoth Vein Coal Mining Company of Sebastian County, Central Coal & Coke Corporation and the Southern Antracite Coal Company, two other significant coal-mining companies.
Frisco lay new tracks to support the mining operations across Johnson, Franklin, Logan, Pope, Scott, and Sebastian County. Place now forgotten were the sites of bustle of activity, such as Frog Town, near Hartford. A site of one of the most noted violent acts in Sebastian County during the Unionization of mine workers in 1914.
For a time, it was an economic boom to small towns and rural areas in Western Arkansas. Mine opened in Hackett, Hunington (Diamond Township), Jenny Lind, Bonanza, Midland, Excelsior to name a few in Sebastian County. Behind the miners came merchants and new businesses. It was a period that appeared to be ushering in new growth for rural western Arkansas. Many people began to switch from farming to coal mining work. Western Arkansas saw an influx of immigrants to fill the demand for workers.
But this too would not last. Some towns faded away in history, no signs or markers to indicate they ever existed. Others are just a shell of what they once were.
Twentieth Century Railroad in Arkansas
At the beginning of the 20th century, the railroad industry continued to grow and consolidate the companies within Arkansas. It was around this time with the abundance of timber resources that the timber industry began to grow in the state.
The railroad was still a major factor in the states economy, a source of jobs and focal point for small communities with depots. Depots were the place to be, a social gathering place to get the pulse of the community. With more tracks and scheduled arrivals and departures, you could travel to distance towns and return the same day.
Trains themselves changed, replacing wood-burning with coal burning engines. Later in the 1920s, they went to oil-burners, which dominated the industry until the 1940s. It is during this period that most depot stations appeared in the hometowns of our ancestors here in Arkansas.
Railroad & the Timber Industry
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| Dierks Lumber Mill |
Railroads were essential to the development of the timber industry in Arkansas in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They spurred new lines and short lines just to support the industry.
One of these short-line railroads was the DeQueen and Eastern (DQE). Owned by four brothers John Dierks, Herman,Hans, and Peter Dierks. They came to Southwest Arkansas from Nebraska, German heritage around 1900, and opened a sawmill. They founded their short-line railroad and connected to the Kansas City Southern, which passed through DeQueen on the way from Kansas City to Texarkana. They built towns where ever they build lumber mills, and the town of Lockesburg was founded in 1905. They operated three mills, Dierks Forests, Incorporated.
The Missouri-Pacific
In 1917, Missouri-Pacific Railroad Company bought the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southwestern Railway. For many years, it was known as "MoPac" and became the largest and most important railroad in the state. The original shops of Cairo & Fulton in North Little Rock were expanded to include 36 ships on 160 acres. The railroad extended as far as Mexico in the Southwest.
The Rock Island
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| Rock Island Logo |
The Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad, more commonly known as the "Rock Island", was established in Argenta (now North Little Rock) in 1904, when it bought the Choctaw and Memphis Railroad. The main lines passed through Forrest City, Brinkley, DeValls Bluff, Lonoke, Little Rock, Perryville, Danville, and Booneville. There were also numerous branch lines that provided service to Fordyce, El Dorado, Malvern, Camden, Hot Springs, and Dardanelle. The company operated 705 miles of track in Arkansas.
Missouri & North Arkansas
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| New paint scheme MNA 336, and EMD SD40-2 idling at Pearl Yard in Carthage, Missouri |
The St. Louis and North Arkansas Railroad was chartered on May 17, 1899. It linked the resort community of Eureka Springs with Harrison. Later in 1906, the company was reorganized as the Missouri & North Arkansas (M&NA) Railroad. It extended the line from Harrison to Searcy and eventually Helena. The railroad continued to build tracks to isolated communities in the Ozark Mountains. In 1907, they opened a 75 mile track between Leslie and Pangburn.
The railroad company struggled almost since it started. It was one of the difficulties of traversing the mountainous terrain that added cost to construction, making it one of the most expensive ever built in Arkansas. It consistently lost money and plunged into receivership in 1912. It would later reorganize in 1914, but before it could even attempt to return to profitability, one of its trains was involved in a major train accident. On August 5, 1914, and M&NA train collided with a Kansas City Southern locomotive south of Joplin, Missouri, killing 38 people. The two railroad companies shared responsibility for the accident, but the compensation to the families of the victims was just too much for Missouri and North Arkansas to recover. The maintenance declined, and with worker strikes, went back into receivership in 1927 and in 1935. It was sold and began to operate as the Missouri and Arkansas Railway to avoid its association with the past history.
The Cotton Belt
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| Bond issued 12. February 1891 |
The St. Louis Southwestern Railroad, commonly known as the "Cotton Belt Route" or just the "Cotton Belt", was located in the eastern and southern parts of Arkansas, where cotton, rice, and timber are the commodity. It was originally incorporated at the Texas & St. Louis Railway in the early 1880s, providing service between Texarkana, Clarendon, and Jonesboro. It fell on hard times, and in 1884 went into receivership and was reorganized as the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas in 1885, and as St. Louis Southwestern in 1891. Their main line entered Arkansas from Missouri near the northeast corner of Clay County, then extended southwest through Paragould, Jonesboro, Brinkley, Stuttgart, Pine Bluff, Rison, Fordyce, Camden, and Lewisville before leaving the state in Texarkana.
The Kansas City Southern
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| Kansas City Southern (KCS) Logo |
The Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railroad straddled the Arkansas-Oklahoma line, crossing back and forth until it entered Texas to the Gulf of Mexico in Port Aurthur.
Beginning in 1896, the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad later, the Kansas City Southern, arrived in Heavener, Indian Territory. Three years later, the Arkansas Western Railroad was incorporated in Arkansas to build a 32 mile extension from Heavener to Waldron, Scott County, Arkansas. In 1904, KCS organized the Arkansas Western Railway Company, and the Arkansas Western Railroad became a subsidiary.
It passed through the western portion of Benton County from Missouri into Oklahoma, then re-entered the state further south in Scott County. The rail line then proceeded south through Mena, Vandervoort, DeQueen, Haratio, Ashdown, before leaving the state again in Texarkana. The company also owned the Louisania and Arkansas, which ran from Hope into New Orleans.
In 1904, passenger service from Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas began to Waldron with fourteen stops in between. The train would leave Fort Smith and make eight stops in Indian Territory at Braden, Spiro, Coal Creek, Panama, Shady Point, Poteau, and Howe, before arriving in Heavener. From Heavner, it traveled into Arkansas, making stops at Coaldale, Bates, Cauthron, Oliver, Bryan, and Hon before arriving in Waldron. Each of the towns had their own depot.
The Louisiana and Northwest
The Louisiana & Northwest was established as an important link to the timber lands in southern Arkansas. The regional center of the railroad was Shreveport in northwest Louisiana. In 1927, it operated 24.71 miles of track in Arkansas, from Magnolia south toward the Louisiana border. The line originated in Chestnut, Louisiana, and entered Columbia County, Arkansas from the south. The line then passed through State Line, Mohawk, Emerson, Brister, Kerlin, and Magnolia, before ending at McNeil. From there, it connected with the St. Louis Southwestern. It operated one train daily on the route.
Intercity Railroad
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| Amtrak Texas Eagle Route |
Amtrak began operations on May 1, 1971, the nation's new intercity passenger rail. In the Spring of 1974, when the Inter-American was extended northward from Fort Worth, Texas to St. Louis, it began regular service in Arkansas.
| City | Station Code | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| Arkadelphia | ARK | Texas Eagle |
| Hope | HOP | Texas Eagle |
| Little Rock | LRK | Texas Eagle |
| Malvern | MVN | Texas Eagle |
| Texarkana | TXA | Texas Eagle |
| Walnut Ridge | WNR | Texas Eagle |
Arkansas Railroad Museums
- Official Home of the Arkansas Railroad Museum (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)
- Central Delta Depot Museum (Brinkley, Arkansas)
- Road Trips:
- McGehee Train Depot - McGehee - located at 100 South Railroad St., McGehee.
- Lindsey Railroad Museum - Texarkana located at 202 E Broad St., Texarkana.
- Tiny Town Trains - Hot Springs located at 374 Whittington Ave., Hot Springs.
- Arkansas Railroad Museum - Pine Bluff 1700 Port Rd., Pine Bluff.
- Its here! Take a look at the Arkansas Railroad History Jan 31, 2023.
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