“T
he fact that Texarkana exists may be a fluke having more to do with good fortune than foresight. “The good fortune was being at the right place at the right time when Texas and Pacific Railroad coming from Dallas needed a place to link with the Cairo and Fulton coming from Arkansas.” In addition, several established towns assumed the railroads would come to them, so they made no effort to encourage them. The railroads passed them by. Because the C & F had no charter to operate in Texas, the T & P agreed to extend its rails to the state line. A town— Texarkana—was born at the point where the railroads met. On December 8, 1873, the first town lots were sold as area timber was being cut and fortunes were in the making. According to the Gazette’s TEXARKANA II / THE TWO COUNTY COLLECTION, Texarkana exists because of timber and location, and the railroads facilitated not only its birth but also its growth. Some say Texarkana’s position now is just as ideal as in 1873, and railroads continue to feed that potential. In 2011, at least 53 trains a day move freight and passengers through Texarkana on 13 sets of tracks. The clanging of bells and belching smoke characteristic of those black Iron Horses have been replaced by sleek diesel engines. The roar of their powerful motors and piercing wails announce their presence; nonetheless, they pull familiar railway cars sitting atop their iron wheels which continue to clank over the steel rails, acknowledging the commerce of both the past and the present. So…….why not celebrate our origins? Lockhart, Texas, salutes the Chisholm Trail; Little Rock and San Antonio celebrate their rivers; while Amarillo pays tribute to Route 66. Whether trail, river, asphalt or rail, these means of transportation have made their communities and helped to define both the people and economies which have made their towns successful. Texarkana is a railroad town, and fluke or no, the time has come to pay tribute to our history and have some fun in the process. Thanks to the significant efforts of Jimmy “Smitty” Smith, Chairman of the Texarkana, AR, Historic District Commission and Mark Shoptaw, Grant Writer and Project Coordinator for the City of Texarkana, AR, the dreams of such an event may become a reality. Both these hard working enthusiasts acknowledge the idea of celebrating the railroads did not originate with them. Previous attempts to join with Union Pacific RR in beautifying downtown Texarkana by adding benches and green spaces just “fizzled.” At the heart of all the attempts has been—as one might guess—money. The project for an improved downtown festival was resurrected by Melanie Dowd of the Texarkana Historical Museum. Melanie was seeking to expand
and renew enthusiasm for the Museum’s annual downtown fall festival—the Quadrangle. The main issue for any festival, as Smitty and Mark have learned by their consultations with other festival leadership, is infrastructure. Water and electricity are essentials for vendors and performers as well as guests. These vital utilities need to exist but disappear, i.e. be available but not supplied by cords and pipes running all over the area frequented by festival visitors. This infrastructure currently does not exist in Texarkana’s downtown. Oh…just hold the iron horses for a moment. To talk about infrastructure before even suggesting a location is like putting the once-familiar caboose before the engine. Is there a location in Texarkana large enough and safe enough and interesting enough to foster such a…RAILFEST? You betcha’. Smith and Shoptaw have located the perfect spot and right across the street from some of the celebratory train tracks: Festival Plaza or Front Street Festival Plaza, part
of the original downtown historical district, is the area which claims Olive street as a western boundary and Hazel as an eastern; Front Street—the frontal boundary between the railroad property and city property runs the length of the several city blocks contained within this space. The basic pipes are already buried, so the infrastructure needed is “do-able.”The space is ample for family fun, kids and adult spaces, vendors of food and favors, display booths, as well as games, performances, contests and music galore. Nearby opportunities exist for recycling objects large and small in addition to a unique display of antique automobiles. The major theme of the entire festival will be the railroads, and everything—from restrooms to cabanas—will reflect that theme. As the two planners a.k.a. dreamers discuss RAILFEST, their enthusiasm permeates the room. Their plans are threefold: 1) To introduce people to the Front Street Festival Plaza and restore interest in an historic downtown area to which life is gradually returning; 2) To tell the story of the railroads’ histories and their relationship to Texarkana; 3) To create a space which will invite other festivals, concerts and celebrations. This plaza will be
perfect for hosting the Quadrangle Festival in the fall and the RAILFEST in the spring with “Who knows what?” in between. Dreams for a Railway History Museum including railway memorabilia from actual railway cars to cuisine; tickets to tablecloths, manikins clad in railroad duds to menus.. As Smitty observes, “It depends on the grants, and we’re trying. Eventually the railroad museum can become part of the Texarkana Museums System. We know it will take a while to get it like we want it, but we’re working on it.” The operative word is eventually, but the goals have been firmly identified. After all, the Texarkana, AR City planner has just been working on this idea for four year years already. “Making dreams a reality. That’s what we try to do,” Mark affirms. For now, a Front Street Festival Plaza Oversight Committee, composed of 12 Texarkana citizens has been appointed. The committee is comprised of city workers— Texarkana, AR, Public Works, Planning and Safety Departments are already at work—business owners, historians and other interested parties have stepped up their support as well as anonymous donors. Volunteers have been recruited and some, like volunteers do, just raised their hands or pitched in. Machelle Shoptaw has been named by husband Mark to handle the army of volunteers needed to make RAILFEST a reality. Volunteers will receive a free shirt and free pass for their hard work. When Melanie Dowd was first approached with the festival space idea, her response was something like, “Do you think you could have it ready in three months for the Quadrangle?” Mark managed a smile as he replied, “About three years?’ Well, the time, as time has a tendency to do, has sped by. Planners have over the years researched not only grants but also festivals, like Little Rock’s Riverfest, to learn How, and a number of plans have been implemented and decisions made. [Check out www. railfesttexarkana.com]. Those decisions include the following: DATE: Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. until 10 p.m./ 3 gates open, 1 from 10 p.m.-5 p.m. LOCATION: Front Street Festival Plaza, Downtown Texarkana ADMISSION: Adults-$5 / Children 12 or under- FREE VENDORS: Four of the six food vendors have been recommended by the Arkansas State Fair; two come from Texarkana. Arts and crafts and Non-profit displays, too. PROGRAM: Miss RAILFEST Pageant, a Twin Cities Pageant open to any girl ages 0 year to 22 years of age. Competition will be in Evening Gown, Talent, On-Stage www.alt-mag.com
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