DEPOT HISTORY
The newly built La Grange depot around the early 1900's (Circa 1900-1907)
1900-1910
Depot is renovated with an extended loading platform between 1901 and 1906, elevated freight area is added, and a small stair case now leads from the depot office to the elevated freight area/room.
1911
Former president Theodore Roosevelt makes a station stop and speaks to a large crowd that has drawn near and around the station grounds.
1880
The first rail connection comes to La Grange via a "tap" line built by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad from a junction in Alleyton (east of Columbus).
1887
After approval of a depot on March 17th, the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railway build through La Grange and the first train stops at the depot on around 4PM on August 17th later in the year.
1897
On March 19th, disaster occurs when the depot finds itself in the path of a fire that started in the nearby city hall. Hard rains the day prior helped prevent the fire from spreading further but the city hall and depot were lost. A replacement depot was soon built and completion of the structure occurred with in the next year.
1898
New depot is completed with an office, ticket window, operators desk in a bay window area for visibility, telegraph and semaphore (signal) controls, and segregated waiting rooms. Building size is approximately 47'-6" long and 24'-3" wide.
1957
After WWII freight and passenger movements subside and automobiles start to take off, ridership starts to decline. It was early this year that the M-K-T ends almost all passenger service in the state. The last passenger train left running is the famed "Texas Special". On November 23, a group called the "Last Ride Gang" board the Texas Limited in Plum and ride for its final stop in La Grange. Running late due to rain, sleet and cold temperatures it arrives at La Grange at 7:20 pm. This stop signaling the end of passenger train service in the town.
1965
The last passenger train scheduled by the M-K-T runs and by the end of the year the railroad only offers freight services.
1983
The M-K-T railroad closed its La Grange railroad depot office in March of that year. The front of the depot being rented to Bloomin' Junction a year prior.
1990's
Chamber of Commerce moves offices after being in the depot since the early 1980's. From 1991 to 1998 the depot was used as a space for Bahnhof Galerie, two hair salons and a video store. During this time, the merger era of railroads was coming to a close and the Missouri Pacific Railroad had absorbed the M-K-T and its assets, including the depot.
1996
Chamber of Commerce acquires the old depot with a deed transaction from the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company.
La Grange depot as it appeared in the 1990's.
1999
On October 22, the La Grange Chamber of Commerce transfers deed of the property with a winning bid of $45,000 offered by the nonprofit group, friends of the La Grange Railroad Depot, who turn the depot into a musuem.
2002
On December 2, the group offered ownership of the land back to the city with provision that group be able to keep maintaining and running the depot museum. After the deed was processed an $80,000 grant was awarded and the city was able to fully restore the depot.
2022
The Friends and community celebrate the depots 125th anniversary! It has been over a century and the depot still has so much still to offer.