The Russellville Missouri Pacific Train Depot

The Missouri Pacific train depot is a red brick and stucco building that was built in 1917. The depot would handle passengers and mail as well as sell tickets. It was due to the previous depot not being sufficient for the town’s needs. It is now preserved as a local historical land mark. The depot was originally operated by the Iron Mountain Railroad but was taken over by the Missouri Pacific Railroad when the two merged.

During the nineteen teens, many railroads were expanding. In January of 1915, a bill was introduced which required a new depot to be built in Russellville, Arkansas. The bill was introduced by Robert B. Wallace. The new depot had to be built out of Brick or Stone and was supposed to be Built by October 1, 1915. The depot had replaced an earlier depot that was built in 1880. There was some debate as to what side of the depot would be reserved for white passengers and which side for Black passengers. The budget for the depot was $25,000 dollars. The new depot could not be built on the same site as the previous depot. Location. 

The location of the new depot was hotly debated. One possible site was east of a local residence and the other was close to a coal chute. The leaders of the city wanted the depot to be built in the same spot as the original depot. The Iron Mountain company was willing to work with the city, but they legally could not build the depot in the same spot. This resulted in an impasse that lasted a year. The impasse was broken a hearing was held before the Arkansas Railroad commission. The commission ordered that the new depot be built on the site of the original passenger depot. 

The depot opened in the early months of 1917. The depot was originally operated by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway. This company merged with Missouri Pacific just months after the depot opened. What became known as the Missouri Pacific railroad was first built in July of 1851. The rails for the railroad were bought in England and then shipped in. 

The iron Mountain railroad began in 1853 in the city of St. Louis. The train had to be pulled by donkeys or mules through a United States War Department St. Louis Arsenal to avoid the sparks from a wood Burning engine from igniting a fire. The Iron Mountain Railroad was acquired by the Missouri Pacific railroad in 1881. In March of 1917, the Iron Mountain and Missouri Pacific railroads officially merged. The company would retain the name of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. 

1.Hull, Clifton E. Shortline Railroads of Arkansas. University of Oklahoma Press, 1969.

2.Hull, Clifton E., and Bill A. Pollard. The Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad. Conway, AR: UCA Press, 1995. 

3.Mopac.org. Accessed December 6, 2021. http://www.mopac.org/corporate-history/73-missouri-pacific-railroad.