Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway Freight Depot -- San Angelo TX
N 31° 27.267 W 100° 26.049
14R E 363734 N 3480858
The former Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway Freight Depot near Fort Concho in San Angelo TX, later purchased by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad
Waymark Code: WMV370
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/15/2017
Views: 5
This handsome and VERY LONG freight depot was built at thw same time as the equally handsome Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway passenger depot just 150 yards westward down the tracks.
Both depots are used today for other purposes: The pasenger depot for a museum, and the freight depot is a senior center and City Parks Department office space.
The state historic marker on the passenger depot contains KCM&O RR history as follows:
"Orient-Santa Fe Passenger Depot
The Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway Company (KCM&O) built this depot in 1909-10. The KCM&O was one of three connecting railroads promoted by mining and railroad entrepreneur Arthur E. Stilwell. The proposed rail system ran 1,600 miles from Kansas City, Missouri, to Topolabampo, Mexico, the Pacific port nearest the U.S. Midwest. However, the route was never fully completed. San Angelo won a bitter contest over Sweetwater to become a major station on Stilwell’s international rail system. This was the largest of the company’s depots, and it also served as headquarters for their state offices.
The KCM&O engineering department designed the depot; most drawings bear the name or initials of Albert T. Camfield. The depot is a large, two-story rectangular plan structure with a bell-hipped tile roof, deep overhangs, and dormers on the street façade. Red brick walls are accented by cast stone detailing. Square posts support a one-story hipped-roof canopy and covered entrance on three sides. A square projecting tower with pyramidal roof on the track side housed the dispatcher. The first floor contained the segregated waiting rooms, ticket office, baggage handling area, gentlemen’s smoking room, and ladies’ parlor. The second floor was devoted to offices.
Although the KCM&CO struggled in early years, the discovery of oil in west Texas in the early 1920s led to higher company profits and capital improvements. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company purchased the KCM&O in 1928. By 1989, the Santa Fe announced plans to raze the freight and passenger depots. Citizens initiated a successful campaign to preserve and rehabilitate the buildings as a senior services center and railroad museum.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark -- 2008
Marker is property of the State of Texas"
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?:
Parks Department programs and offices
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
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.