Frankston Railroad Depot

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how Duane tells it back to you. In 1900, the Texas and New Orleans Railroad came rolling through Anderson County and platted a brand new town right out of the Texas dirt. They called the station Frankport and the post office Ayres, which means if you wanted to mail a letter and catch a train, you'd have needed to keep two names in your head.

That situation didn't last long. By 1902, both names got set aside, and the town became Frankston. The marker tells us it was renamed for Miss Frankie Miller, who gave land for a city park.

One woman's generosity, and a town carries her name into the next century. Then in 1906, this frame depot you're looking at got built. It's a handsome thing, and it earned its keep.

The railroad connected local farmers with markets they couldn't have reached on their own, and it ran passenger service from 1903 all the way to 1964. That's a lot of comings and goings. A lot of folks stepping off into the heat, or climbing aboard with a suitcase and a plan.

When the passengers stopped coming, the depot could have just faded away like so many others. But in 1976, it was restored as a museum. Miss Frankie Miller gave land so her community could gather.

Turns out her town had the good sense to preserve the place where that community once set out into the world.

What the marker says

In 1900 the Texas & New Orleans Railroad, now part of the Southern Pacific line, platted the town of Frankston. The station was first called Frankport and the post office Ayres. Both were renamed Frankston in 1902 for Miss Frankie Miller, who gave land for a city park. In 1906 this frame depot was built. The railroad connected local farmers with distant markets and provided passenger service from 1903 to 1964. The depot was restored in 1976 as a museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977