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H E A R N E   R A I L R O A D   D E P O T
 

The historic Hearne Railroad Depot was constructed in 1901 as a joint venture by the north-south Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad and east-west International & Great Northern (I&GN) Railroad.  The lines of these two railroads crossed in Hearne.  In later years, the H&TC became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) and the I&GN was merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac).  For many years, the Hearne Depot served as the passenger terminal and connection point for people traveling on these two railroads.  In recent years, both the SP and MoPac have been integrated into the Union Pacific Railroad (UP).  Since passenger trains no longer operate on the east-west or north-south UP routes through Hearne, this historic depot no longer hosts passengers.

The Hearne Depot building is a single-story frame structure on a concrete base.  Shaped like an arrow, the two decorative towers, the "stick-style" design, size and interior details all reflect the importance of this junction and of passenger traffic at this period.  The building was designed with its two long walls parallel to the tracks, and an interlock signaling room facing north at the apex of the plan.  There was a baggage room and a ticket office that served separate waiting rooms for black and white passengers.  Also at the location was a Harvey House Restaurant and a Wells Fargo Railway Express building.

The historic Hearne Depot is one of 12 buildings or groups of buildings in Robertson County that is preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress American Memory Collection.  Seven architectural drawings and floor plans of this depot from this collection are featured below. 

 


On January 18, 2001, the Hearne Depot was moved 660 feet across Texas Highway 6 from where it had been for the past 100 years (see Hearne Democrat article below).  With ownership of the depot having passed from UP to the City of Hearne, efforts are underway to transform this depot into a visitors center and museum that will feature exhibits about Hearne and the local area circa World War II as well as railroad and train memorabilia.  Spearheaded by the Hearne Depot Board of Directors, restoration work began in 1999 with the hiring of an architect to coordinate the rehabilitation of the century-old structure.  A Texas Department Of Transportation Enhancement Grant has been awarded to fund the initial stages of this project.

Join the Hearne Depot Message Board to stay posted on the latest developments or bookmark this site and check back often to witness the beginnings of this depot's continued service to Hearne and Robertson County. 

Information on how businesses and individuals can become a part of and contribute to depot preservation efforts will be posted at this site in the near future.  If you wish to contribute or if you represent a company, foundation, or other organization that wishes to contribute to depot restoration efforts, please contact the City Of Hearne Economic Director.

Robertson County TXGenWeb Railroad Collection, City Of Hearne Depot Webpage

From The 1.18.2001 Hearne Democrat
Reprinted With Permission

 

The limited edition "Winston Sanders" art print on the extreme right in the first row of photographs above is available for sale at winsan@tca.net.  The print is by Winston Sanders, a Texas artist and Hearne native, who utilized a circa 1915 photograph of the depot for details of the original structure. The original of this print was rendered in pen and ink with a sepia wash, creating the look of an old photograph. Printed on quality art paper, all the details of the original depot are faithfully reproduced.
  

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