"Frisco" Depot -- Menard TX
N 30° 55.441 W 099° 47.098
14R E 425001 N 3421445
The old "Frisco" Depot at Menard, now the County historical Museum
Waymark Code: WMTV9B
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/09/2017
Views: 4
When this lovely Mission Revival depot was built in 1909 at Menard, the Fort Worth & Rio Grande RR, a subsidiary of the St. Louis and San Francisco "Frisco" Railroad, was an economic lifeline for this community, still considered to be on the wild frontier of Texas as late as the turn of the twentieth century.
Rail service to Menard ended in 1972, and the tracks have long since been picked up in the right-of-way abandoned. But the depot remains, and the last 40 years has been the home of the Menard County Historical Museum.
A state historic marker nearby reads as follows:
"FRISCO DEPOT
Seeking a rail line to speed marketing of their livestock, residents of this area in 1909 asked the Ft. Worth & Rio Grande Railroad, a branch of the Frisco System, to extend track from Brady (40 miles northeast) to Menardville. Ranchers donated right of way, while townspeople erected this depot and shortened the town's name to "Menard". Celebrations marked the arrival of the first train, Feb. 10, 1911, and completion of this mission revival station, July 4, 1911. The Santa Fe system later acquired the line. After rail service ended in 1972, this building became a historical museum.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978"
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?:
Historical Museum
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: The Fort Worth & Rio Grande RR/ St Louis & San Francisco RR
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the station/depot taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this station/depot and any interesting information you learned about it while there.