Tulia Depot

Duane's take

Here's what the official marker on this one says, and it's a story worth stoppin' for. The Tulia Depot, Swisher County, Texas. Now settle in, because before there was a depot, there was a problem.

A serious, muddy, days-long kind of problem. Tulia was established in 1887, out on the Tule Ranch division of the JA Ranch. Good land, promising town.

One small inconvenience: the nearest rail connection was more than a hundred miles away, over in Colorado City or Quanah. A hundred miles. And even after 1888, when rail was extended up to Amarillo, a trip from Tulia to that line could take days if the weather turned on you.

Which, out on the South Plains, it had a habit of doing. So Tulia sat there, watching the modern world run on rails just out of reach. That changed in 1906, when the Tulia Board of Trade decided to do something about it.

They raised funds to entice rail companies to build a line directly to town. Now, a man named Avery Turner enters the picture. Vice-president and general manager of the Pecos Valley and Northeastern, Turner had already been out surveying potential new routes through the region.

And in January of 1906, grading was underway, south from Canyon, for an extension of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway right along Turner's survey. They were comin'. And in December of 1906, the first train to stop in Tulia arrived.

A man named A. J. Bivens donated land for a frame depot, built north of the present site.

The town had its connection at last. But then, in 1915, that first depot burned. Gone.

So Tulia went back to work, and in 1916 and 1917 a new facility rose up in its place. This one wasn't a rough-hewn frame building thrown together to get the job done. This was a single-story brick and stucco structure built in the mission revival style, the kind of architecture the Santa Fe Railway was known for.

Deep overhanging ceramic tile roof. Prominent brackets. Projecting bays with peaked parapets and the Santa Fe logo right up there for all to see.

Inside, a narrow passageway divided the gentlemen's waiting room from the ladies' waiting room. The ticket office faced the railroad tracks. The baggage room sat north of the passenger section.

It combined a passenger station, an express office, and a freight house all under one roof. The railroad, as the marker puts it, was a milestone in the development of Tulia and Swisher County, bringing heavy commercial and passenger activity rolling into town. Now, nothing lasts forever without a fight.

In 1987, the Santa Fe Railway demolished the baggage area. Looked like the rest might follow. But concerned citizens and Swisher County officials stepped in and helped save what remained.

And today, the depot at the head of Broadway Avenue still stands as a focal point of the town. It took a hundred-mile problem, a Board of Trade with something to prove, a surveyor named Turner, a donated piece of land, one fire, and a community that refused to let the thing fall down. But that depot is still there.

What the marker says

The town of Tulia, established in 1887 on the Tule Ranch division of the Ja ranch, received an economic boost in the early 20th century with the arrival of the railroad. When Tulia began, the nearest rail connection was more than 100 miles away in Colorado City or Quanah. Even after 1888, when rail was extended to Amarillo, a trip from Tulia could take days in inclement weather. In 1906, the Tulia Board of Trade raised funds to entice rail companies to build a line to Tulia. Avery Turner, vice-president and general manager of the Pecos Valley and Northeastern, had surveyed potential new routes through the region, and in Jan. 1906 grading was underway south from Canyon for an extension of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway along Turner's survey. The first train to stop in Tulia arrived in Dec. 1906. A. J. Bivens donated land for a frame depot built north of the present site. After this depot burned in 1915, a new facility was built in 1916-17, combining a passenger station, express office and freight house. This single-story brick and stucco building exhibits mission revival style architecture typical of Santa Fe depots, including a deep overhanging ceramic tile roof, prominent brackets, and projecting bays with peaked parapets and the Santa Fe logo. A narrow passageway divided gentlemen's and ladies" waiting rooms, with the ticket office facing the railroad tracks. The baggage room was north of the passenger section. The coming of the railroad was a milestone in the development of Tulia and Swisher County, bringing heavy commercial and passenger activity. In 1987, the Santa Fe railway demolished the baggage area, but concerned citizens and Swisher county officials helped save the remaining structure. The depot at the head of Broadway Avenue remains a focal point of the town.