Missouri Pacific Station - San Antonio, Texas
N 29° 25.625 W 098° 30.310
14R E 547998 N 3255405
Constructed in 1907 and renovated in 1987, this has to be one of the best restorations of a major railroad station anywhere in the USA. And the best is yet to come: the City has plans to use the station as an intermodal center.
Waymark Code: WMJ16W
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2013
Views: 4
From a historical marker in the building: In 1907, the International and Great Northern Railroad depot in San Antonio, Texas was designed and built by architect Harvey L. Page. Soon, San Antonio became the crossroads of South Texas and the largest city in the state. In 1924, the company was bought by the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway, a Missouri Pacific affiliate, and assumed the Missouri Pacific name in the 1930's. The depot was called the "Gateway to Mexico" because the once luxiourious train, the "Texas Eagle", ran daily to Laredo. During World War II, the "Texas Eagle" arrived daily from St. Louis, Houston, Corpus Christie, and Laredo. The station was one of the great transportation centers of the south until the end of World War II, when passenger train activity began to decline. By 1965, only one train, both north and south, used the station on a daily basis. The facility finally closed in September 1970, when the last "Texas Eagle" left the station. The building stood dormant for the next fifteen years. On September 9, 1975, the depot was entered in the National Register of Hitoric Places.
In 1985, the City Employees Federal Credit Union purchased this building for its future headquarters, and in January of 1987, the credit union officially broke ground for the renovation of the project. The San Antonio City Employees Federal Credit Union, established in July 1940, by a group of city employees, proudly dedicates this building to its members who, through their cooperation and support, made this project a reality.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
A credit union
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: The International & Great Northern Railroad; and the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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