Tri-County Railroad Symposium

The Tri-County Railroad Symposium was held in Teague on Saturday, October 21, 2023 to explore the railroad history of Limestone, Freestone, and Navarro Counties and to raise awareness of the need to preserve this important part of the area's history.  Activities took place at the Teague Public Library, the Teague Hotel and the Burlington-Rock Island (B-RI) Railroad Museum. The Symposium was a collaboration of the Freestone, Limestone and Navarro County Historical Commissions, Tehuacana Heritage Society, Teague Historical Preservation Society, Teague Public Library, Teague Hotel and the B-RI Railroad Museum.

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.  

Sponsors

Engineer Level

Freestone County Historical Commission

Limestone County Historical Commission

Navarro County Historical Commission

Iron Horse Hall

Bi-Stone Building Supply

JnS Heating & Air Conditioning

Conductor Level

Parkview Regional Hospital

Tehuacana Heritage Society

Farmers State Bank

Navarro College

Citizens State Bank

Teague Historical Preservation Society

Brakeman Level

Bill D Bowers

Tejas Urgent Care

Tom W. Fox, DDS.

Incommons Bank

Wortham Air Conditioning

Wortham Antique Mall

Dr. Mary Jane McReynolds

Mexia Walmart

Centex Citizens Credit Union

Passenger Level

Mexia HEB

Flatt Stationers

Limestone County Historical Museum

Speakers - Historic Teague Hotel

The Mexia-Nelleva Cutoff - Dennis Hogan

Dennis Hogan is a retired second-career high school science teacher (16 years). He is a native Texan currently living in Frisco, Texas. He has also lived in Midland, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, Tyler, and Austin (Buda). He is interested in railroad history and train travel and is a collector of Texas railroad paper including timetables, maps, and brochures. His hobbies include travel, photography,  and bicycling.

The Passenger Trains - Steve Allen Goen

Steve Allen Goen is a recognized authority in the topic of railroad history throughout the nation for a variety of railroads, particularly in Texas and the Southwest. Mr. Goen currently has twelve published books to his credit (currently working on book 13), including his highly acclaimed Passenger Trains of Texas series. Goen’s Color Pictorial book series include volumes featuring the Cotton Belt; Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific; Fort Worth & Denver; Kansas City Southern; Missouri-Kansas-Texas; Texas & New Orleans; Texas & Pacific; and Santa Fe. Additionally, Goen has numerous magazine articles published in various historical society newsletters plus several articles published in newspapers and approximately 75 different DVD programs produced. 

Goen earned his BME and MM degrees from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He has been a guest speaker at the Bush Presidential Library & Museum (twice), Southern Methodist University De Golyer Library (twice), Big Spring Museum, Allen Public Library (twice), Teague Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet, has taught three railroad courses at Midwestern State University, and was keynote speaker at the 2008 National Rail Historical Society (NRHS) convention in Ft. Worth. He also served as chairman of the 2000 Burlington Route Historical Society-Rock Island Technical Society (BRHS-RITS) Joint National Convention in Ft. Worth. 
Goen also held membership in the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society for many years and has videotaped every trip of the StLSW-Cotton Belt Steam Engine #819 since its operational restoration. 

Goen is well known as a valued member and active contributor in several internet railroad special interest groups including Texas Railroad History, MKT, RailSpot, KCS, TNO, and others. He has served as the museum director at the Wichita Falls Railroad Museum from 1986 to 1993 and currently resides in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Riding the Interurban - Ron Maxfield

Ron Maxfield is an historian of Corsicana history covering the era of the arrival of the first steam railroad in the 1870s to the arrival of the Interurban in 1913. He is presently working on a project to recreate Corsicana in 1/48 scale miniature which will include downtown and parts of the residential areas, including the steam and electric railways. Ron is presently serving as a pastor at First Baptist Church in Marlow, Oklahoma. 

The lecture covered the coming of the railway to Corsicana and the transportation history as it evolved to the Interurban era. References are made to the Interurban's influence in the local context as well as nationwide. Many photos are used of the first two interurban companies, the Texas Traction in the North and the Southern Traction in the South and the merger of the two into the Texas Electric Railway. There is some coverage of the Interurban railcar restoration in Corsicana.

The Trinity & Brazos Valley Railway - Dillon Mcadams

Mr. Mcadams gives a brief history of the Trinity & Brazos Valley line, which will include the types of locomotives and rolling stock, passenger coaches, cabooses, and freight cars that were present pre-1930. He discusses the depots that are still standing and the ones that were once in Freestone and Limestone counties. Industries in the area are also covered to explain why almost every depot in the area had a cotton platform and other facilities. The term "skeleton" is fitting since he'll have many images of the abandoned right of way and of some the abandoned facilities and buildings. He feels this helps paint a picture in everyone's mind of what trains would have looked like in the vicinity of the abandoned depots and lines.

Hearne's Importance to the Houston & Texas Central Railroad - Bob Batson

Bob Batson grew up in Hearne where his father was the head football and baseball coach from 1958 – 1971. He graduated from HHS in 1966 and from the University of Texas in 1970. Bob earned a Masters of Christian Ministry from Wayland Baptist University. For ten years, Bob taught history and English in public schools before entering full time ministry. He served Baptist churches in Bryan (7 years) and Lubbock (25 years) in various associate pastor roles - mostly in the religious education ministry. “If you grew up in Hearne, you either loved or hated the railroads” Bob says. “Since most of my friends’ fathers worked for Southern Pacific, Missouri Pacific, or GATX, I have always had a healthy respect for them.”

Bob and his wife of 46 years, Jan, retired in 2013 and relocated back in Central Texas. They have been curators of the Hearne Depot Museum for almost five years. Bob is an avid model railroader and had a layout in Lubbock that filled a two-car enclosed garage. He has been very active in the National Model Railroad Association and has served in various positions.

Children's Activities - Teague Public Library

Museum Tours - Burlington-Rock Island Railroad Museum

Symposium Program