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SITE OF 1907 H.&T.C./SOUTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGER DEPOT
A DART light rail train hurtles past the site of the 1907 H&TC/Southern Pacific Depot.
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In 1907, the Houston & Central Texas Railroad sent a work crew to Richardson, to demolish the old 1873 train depot and to build a new one. Although it appears that no photograph or drawing of the entire structure exists, there are four photographs of the downtown area that provide some glimpses of it. These photos also show that whereas the first depot was built on the south side of Main Street, the second one stood on the north side. Like most depots of the time, it was probably painted a shade of yellow, but in 1927, after the Southern Pacific took over the line, it was painted green and yellow. The depot was demolished in 1942 and the site has been vacant land ever since. |
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In this enlargement of a photo of Main Street taken between 1907 and 1911, the town's second train depot can be seen. Courtesy Richardson Public Library.
The depot can also be seen in this photo probably taken the same day as the one above. The wagons are loaded with cotton, to be ginned. Courtesy Richardson Public Library.
Courtesy Richardson Public Library.
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This photo not only shows the location of the 1907 depot on the north side of Main Street, it also proves that the building now standing at 111 E. Main was constructed prior to 1924, which is the date that was put at the top of the building when it was remoled in 1924. It was actually built in 1896.
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In this view of the depot, taken from the city water tower in 1927, the Interurban depot, on the opposite corner, can also be seen. Courtesy Richardson Public Library.
LOCATION: The 1907 depot stood on the northeast corner of Belt Line Road/Main Street and Texas Street, on presently-vacant land alongside the DART light rail tracks that follow the same line that the Houston and Texas Central and Southern Pacific trains once ran.(See photo at top of page.)
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