Mineola Station (Texas)
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Mineola_station%2C_October_1996.jpg/220px-Mineola_station%2C_October_1996.jpg)
The Missouri-Pacific Railroad built the station in 1906. In 1951, as "modernization", the hipped roof was removed and decoration stripped from the station, leaving a rectangular brick building.
The Missouri-Pacific Railroad ended service on its Texas Eagle on April 30, 1971, one day before Amtrak took over passenger services. In March 1974, Amtrak's Inter-American was extended from Fort Worth to St. Louis, restoring passenger service to the Missouri-Pacific Railroad's main line but without a stop in Mineola. The Inter-American was replaced by the Eagle in 1981, which in turn was renamed as the Texas Eagle in 1988.
On April 14, 1996, Newport station in Arkansas was closed as part of a deal with the Union Pacific Railroad to reopen the stop at Mineola. Trains began stopping at Mineola on April 28. According to Mineola native Willie Brown, the station was reopened as the result of his persistent lobbying of President Bill Clinton. Responding to an Amtrak report that a survey did not reveal anyone wanting to get off in Mineola, Brown reportedly told Clinton: "The reason to stop in Mineola is not to let anybody off. It's to let the people on. It's not that great a place. Look at me! I left!" Amtrak, however, credited "Mineola community leaders" with the successful effort.
In 2005, the city began an $800,000 renovation project, funded primarily by the Texas Department of Transportation, to restore the station to its original appearance. A new angled roof was constructed, signage and landscaping built, and the interior converted for use as a railway museum. The station was rededicated on June 10, 2006.
References
- ^ "TEXAS EAGLE ROUTE - HISTORICAL TIMELINE". Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Mineola, Texas (MIN)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Texas" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Willie (2008). Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times. Simon and Schuster. p. 255. ISBN 9781416539766 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Texas 'Railroad Town' Completes Restoration of Historic Depot" (Press release). Amtrak. June 8, 2006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2007.
External links
Media related to Mineola station (Texas) at Wikimedia Commons