Railroad [circa 1955] PHOTO BY HUBERT LONG, GALLATIN
The impact of the railroad in the development of rural America cannot be overstated. Nearly all towns in Daviess County were built around railroad depots. Transportation for developing commerce depended on trains, both to ship farm products and livestock out as well as to bring manufactured goods and products here. Trains impacted the very fabric of every community, bringing national figures like William Jennings Bryan here or delivering disadvantaged children from the cities seeking opportunities in rural Midwest small towns via the “Orphan Trains.” And in 2017, railroads still impact decisions here as Daviess County seeks ways to replace bridges on low-traffic roads using railroad flat cars. The influence of railroads here began soon after the Civil War. By 1869 a narrow-gauge railroad called the Chicago Southwestern was rolling through Daviess County. Then in 1898 the Rock Island took over, making Altamont the site of the largest coal chute between Kansas City and Chicago. The Rock Island built 13 houses for railroad workers, several of which still stand and are in use at Altamont. Meanwhile, the Omaha & Chillicothe Railroad was in operation in 1871, putting “Pattonsburgh” on the map in northwest Daviess County. Gallatin’s prominence was fueled in no small way by being the crossroads of two railroads. The impact of rail commerce led to the relocation of a college from Edinburg, MO, to Gallatin (1893-1918). Nationally known McDonald Tea Room built its reputation by attracting traveling salesmen who then lauded the restaurant’s fare across the country. The stopover at Gallatin allowed vaudeville from Chicago one last dress rehearsal before performing for audiences at Kansas City – much to the delight of Gallatin folks hungry for live entertainment at local meeting halls. The Rock Island depot at Winston has survived because it was turned into a community museum by the Winston Historical Society. Railroad tracks bisecting the county were torn out during the early 1970s; the last Rock Island train came through in March, 1973. Other depots are now non-existent or in a state of slow decay. Of all the water tanks, coaling docks, depots, tunnels and turntables built to support the rail lines, only one track is still active here today – the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific near Lock Springs in the extreme southeast corner of Daviess County. Just south of the county on this same line is the newly constructed 110-car shuttle-loader grain storage facility, built by MFA Incorporated and MFA Oil Company. The new facility, capable of handling 14 million bushels of grain annually, opened in 2017. It provides direct access to the Union Pacific Railroad and Highway 36 to I-35.
1914
Altamont Depot
Rock Island Depot Jamesport, MO 1909
FRANK & JESSE JAMES Winston Depot the Scene of 1881 Robbery, Murder This is the Rock Island train depot in Winston, MO, where James Gang members embarked in order to pull off their 1881 robbery. The depot was built in 1871 on a high point in Daviess County, halfway between Gallatin and Cameron. The first station agent was T.F. Jefferies, a native of Somersetshire, England. Two sets of tracks fronted the depot and were used for switching cars while a set of siding tracks ran behind the depot. Today the Winston depot lives on as a community museum developed and maintained by the Winston Historical Society. It displays James Gang legend and lore on the authentic site where the 1881 train robbery commenced. The depot stands at the south edge of Winston, at the junction of Highway 69 and Route Y. This railroad stone culvert, located east of Winston, MO, can still be seen today. It is commonly associated with the James Gang robbery of a Rock Island train in 1881 even though its construction actually postdates the infamous robbery and murder. Before this, a wooden trestle was used instead of this huge stone arch. (photo date unknown)
“Once I interviewed a Gallatin lady whose husband worked for the railroad during the Great Depression. During these years the railroads were one of the main sources of public transportation. Most railroads operated with three shifts, seven days a week. As the severe drought lingered and both farmers and workers had fewer dollars to spend, the railroads were used less and less. Railroad workers began to lose their jobs — they were "bumped," meaning the newer employed workers lost out to those with more seniority. Many workers lived in old railroad cars in disrepair. The inside Wabash Depot during it’s last years in o walls weren't plastered and dust often filtered inside. These cars were set in yards located about approximately 30 feet from the tracks. In some parts of the country, obtaining water was difficult even in normal times. People had unsuccessfully tried to drill for water. To solve the water problem, water was often shipped into town by the use of a large railroad tank car. Workers, in turn, packed the water they needed into their "boxcar" houses.” — Wilbur Bush, Gallatin
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HISTORIC DAVIESS COUNTY
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