Railroads in Rockdale

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the railroads that made Rockdale what it is. Now, some towns grow up around a river, some around a courthouse square, but Rockdale, out here in Milam County, grew up around a rail line. The International and Great Northern came through first, and when they laid out the town in 1873 and 1874, right along that route, Rockdale had itself a reason to exist.

Before the railroad, a farmer out here had crops and not a whole lot of options for what to do with them. After the railroad, those same farmers had access to markets, and Rockdale became a genuine shipping point, not just for agriculture but for other local businesses too. That first line changed everything.

Then, in 1891, a second railroad came to town. The San Antonio and Aransas Pass, which would later become the Southern Pacific, ran a north-south route right through Rockdale. That line kept operating all the way until 1959, and the marker is clear that it further contributed to the town's economic growth.

Two railroads. But Rockdale wasn't finished yet. In 1923, a third line was chartered.

The Rockdale, Sandow and Southern Railroad had a specific purpose: carrying lignite coal out to area customers. Three rail lines in a town of this size. That's not coincidence, that's character.

Now, nothing lasts forever, and the last passenger train pulled out of Rockdale in 1970. Pulled out and didn't come back. But here's the thing the marker wants you to sit with.

The railroad remains a significant part of this community's heritage. The tracks may be quiet, but the story they carry is still very much alive.

What the marker says

Rockdale owes its founding to the International & Great Northern rail line, along which the town was laid out in 1873-74. The railroad gave area farmers access to markets for their crops, and Rockdale became a shipping point for farmers and other local businesses. The San Antonio & Aransas Pass (later Southern Pacific) Railroad operated a north-south route through Rockdale from 1891 to 1959, further contributing to economic growth. The Rockdale, Sandow and Southern Railroad, chartered in 1923 to carry lignite coal to area customers, became Rockdale's third rail line. Although the last passenger train left Rockdale in 1970, the railroad remains a significant part of the community's heritage. (2001)