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Compare this old train schedule with our "now" airline schedules. From Searcy AR by rail.

By Barbara S. Duncan

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

December 25, 2011 01:41 AM

Jim Bohannon sent me this interesting info with this note.

Barbara, Enclosed is a copy of the 1895 Searcy & West Point Railroad schedule to Kensett. The schedule is from my 1896 copy of the Rand McNally USA railroad schedules & time tables. It appears there is a 2:30 AM early bird special leaving Searcy.

The early departure must have been for allowing Searcy railroad travelers to board early morning Iron Mountain Railroad trains via northbound to St. Louis or Southbound to Little Rock via points into Texas.

I thought your viewers might enjoy reading the old Searcy & West Point Railroad time table. Yours truly, Jim in Montana

And looking at this schedule made me think about airline travel today vs. train travel then. We get up in Searcy, drive an hour to Little Rock to check in two hours early for a flight. In 1896 the traveler probably drove an hour to get to the train station but NOT in an air-conditioned motor vehicle. And look how many train departures were scheduled! Very similar, don't you think. The depot must have been a busy place.

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Don Thompson

Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Hmmm, I wasn't aware there was a flight from Kensett to Searcy. What airline is that, Barbara?

Interesting that it takes either a 1/2 hour or an hour to travel the 4 1/2 miles.

When I travelled by rail from Little Rock to Los Angeles December 24, 1958, it took 24 hours. Now a flight from Little Rock takes 7 hours plus the 2 hours or 9 hours.

Thanks Jim for the send.

Dec 25, 2011 04:26 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, can you imagine having to board a train in Searcy and then probably change trains in West Point or Kensett? Wonder why the folks didn't just drive the mule to those places to begin with? In Dude's mother's diary she mentioned taking a train from Kensett and going somewhere up north to join Vernon, I think. She even told the amount for the ticket but I'd have to search to find that entry again.

Dec 25, 2011 06:48 AM

Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Kelley.

Dec 25, 2011 06:50 AM

Anonymous

Harold Gene Sullivan

Merry Christmas to all the regulars!

"Wonder why the folks didn't just drive the mule to those places to begin with? " What do you do with the mule and wagon while you are gone somewhere on the train? Maybe for a long trip? My family has driven to Kensett many time to either meet someone coming in on the train or put someone on the train for a trip. Kensett was a "whistle stop" which means that the train didn't stop unless someone was getting on or off. If someone was getting on, they put a flag up at the station so the train would stop. The mail was put in a bag which was hung from a post and a hook grabbed it as the train wen by, if it wasn't going to stop for a passenger. Thank goodness, they didn't do the same with the passengers. :-)

Before the station was built at Kensett, people went Higginson to catch the train. There was a railway from Searcy to Higginson. There was a great series of articles in the White County Historical Society bulletin a few years ago on the history of railroads in White County.

Dec 25, 2011 09:56 AM

Harold Gene, you brought up excellent questions and gave excellent info on what a "whistle stop" was. I'd heard the term but didn't know what it meant. We probably saw that happening in old cowboy movies though.

Ludean told us that Higginson burned down at one time, sorta like Judsonia blew away so perhaps that is what happened to the Higginson train stop.

Dec 26, 2011 12:25 AM

Debbie Wantulok

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Luke says to add his thought...He would rather spend 40 cents on a train ride with no air-conditioning than to spend $400.00 on a plane.

I take it he isn't fond of flying or really likes train rides or maybe he is just frugal.

Dec 26, 2011 02:40 AM

Ludean Kidd

James said they moved the Higginson depot to Garner. Am I right that the train depot from Garner is at the Historical Society or somewhere on display?

Dec 26, 2011 06:46 AM

Debbie, I think Luke is just being thrifty. Has he ever ridden a train? I did once and swore I'd never do it again. That was probably 50 years ago but I still remember.

Ludean, so Jim says the depot did not burn down? It was just moved.

Dec 27, 2011 08:17 AM

Ludean kidd

He mostly was telling what happened to the depot. I asked him about the fire, too. He said yes, the town did burn down. I didn't ask if he knew the year and my memory about what someone tells me, is fading at times. Especially since I didn't grow up here and he did.

Dec 27, 2011 02:53 PM

#10

Ludean, Jim is not old enough to remember the burning of Higginson. But he might have heard about it from relatives.

Dec 28, 2011 12:49 AM

Yes, I am sure it was from hearing. His family was from south Arkansas, so none was old enough to remember, I don't thinik. They probably remember the school burning, but not the town.

Dec 28, 2011 02:09 AM

#12

Compare this old train schedule with our "now" airline schedules. From Searcy AR by rail.

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