DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker at Third and Congress has to say — and friend, it is a story worth the telling. Christmas Day, 1871. Now think about that for a second.
While families across Austin were gathered around their tables, something else was rolling toward them — something that would change their city forever. The first train into Austin crossed Waller Creek on December 25th of that year, and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad had just made Austin its westernmost terminus in the state. The most prominent trading hub in Central Texas, right there on the Colorado.
Hope, prosperity, and progress — that's what the marker says rode in on that first train, and I believe every word of it. Now, you'd think a city that important would waste no time building a depot worthy of the occasion. And you would be wrong.
Thirty years. Thirty years of public debate, legal maneuvers, and economic constraints before that depot finally got built. Completed in 1902, northeast corner of Third Street and Congress Avenue.
And when it finally went up, it went up right. Stained glass windows. A wrought iron staircase.
An ornate fireplace. First class, all the way. Starting in 1904, the H&TC began sharing that depot with another railroad — the Missouri-Kansas-Texas, better known to Texans as The Katy.
The Katy ran service out of that building until 1964. One year later, in 1965, the depot came down. Demolished.
Thirty years of waiting, and it stood just over six decades. But that's only half the story. In 1876, a second rail line came to Austin.
The International and Great Northern — the I&GN — opened up and became the city's major rail line for many years. And once again, the citizens looked around at what Austin had become, looked at what the state capital deserved, and said: we need a depot to match. This time, they didn't wait thirty years.
In 1888, the I&GN hired Gustav Wilke — the man who built the state capitol itself — to build the new depot at the southwest corner of Third and Congress. Right across from its neighbor. Wilke gave it granite trimmings, red oak, and a slate roof.
A building that knew what it was. The I&GN and its successor, the Missouri Pacific, ran trains out of that depot until 1949, when a new depot was built on Lamar Boulevard. The old I&GN depot was demolished in 1955.
Two depots, two railroads, two fates — and both of them gone now, leaving only the marker and the memory. But here's what that marker wants you to hold onto: those buildings weren't just places to catch a train. They were the physical proof of Austin's promise.
Every passenger who stepped off onto that platform, blinking in the Texas light, was stepping into a city that was reaching for something. Commerce. Transportation.
Sophistication. The state capital wasn't just a dot on a map — it was a destination. And it all started with a train rolling over Waller Creek on Christmas morning.
What the marker says
On December 25, 1871, the first train into Austin rolled over Waller Creek, bringing with it hope, prosperity and progress. The Houston and Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad made Austin its westernmost terminus in the state and the most prominent trading hub in Central Texas. The railroad brought growth and success to the city and a depot of a first class nature was needed. After thirty years of public debate, legal maneuvers and economic constraints, the depot was finally completed in 1902 at the northeast corner of Third Street and Congress Avenue. The depot was designed with stained glass windows, a wrought iron staircase and an ornate fireplace. Beginning in 1904, the H&TC began sharing the depot with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (M-K-T), better known as "The Katy," which ran service until 1964. The depot was demolished in 1965. In 1876, the International and Great Northern (I&GN) opened the second rail line to Austin, becoming the city's major rail line for many years. Citizens again suggested a depot be built which mirrored the stature Austin now held within the state. In 1888, I&GN hired Gustav Wilke, who built the state capitol, to build the new depot at the southwest corner of Third and Congress. It included granite trimmings, red oak, and a slate roof. I&GN and its successor, the Missouri Pacific, ran trains out of the depot until 1949, when a new depot was built on Lamar Boulevard. The I&GN depot was demolished in 1955. These depots represented the influential and important position Austin held as the state capital. They also helped bring commerce, transportation, and sophistication to the burgeoning city and highlighted Austin's promise as passengers stepped off the trains. (2010)