Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Frisco Train Depot
Fort Smith National Historic Site
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
1. Frisco Train Depot Marker
Before automobiles or airplanes, trains were the popular way to travel. At speeds of up to 65 mph (105 km), people traveled faster and farther than ever before. Besides visiting family and friends, trains took people to new and exotic places for the first time. Popular destinations included National Parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon.
Vital to every railroad’s success were its depots. Strategically located for fueling, communications (telegraph and mail), and receiving both passengers and freight, depots were responsible for the establishment of many new communities across the nation. Today, trains still continue to play an important role in the transportation of people and freight.
The depot’s original columns were removed in the 1970s during the bridge expansion project.
Horses, trains, automobiles, and planes – what do you think comes next?
(background photo caption)
Night Train on the Frisco by Fort Smith artist John Bell Jr.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 35° 23.374′
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Building Worth Saving (here, next to this marker); Old Commissary (within shouting distance of this marker); The Parade Grounds (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bastion That Never Was (within shouting distance of this marker); The Guardhouse, 1849-1871 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Women’s Jail, 1872-1888 (within shouting distance of this marker); Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Flagstaff (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.
Also see . . .
1. Frisco Train Station. National Park Service website entry:
Built in 1903 by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, the station was an imposing Missouri ashlar limestone structure with a two-story colonnade in front. The ten ornate columns, standard of the Classical Revival style, gave way to a grand entrance. (Submitted on September 29, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
2. Frisco Train Depot Marker
2. St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. Encyclopedia of Arkansas website entry:
The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Co. (SLSF), better known as the Frisco, was organized in 1876 in Missouri. By 1881, the company consisted of a handful of lines concentrated in central and southern Missouri but reaching to Wichita, Kansas; Vinita, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Although the Frisco never built into the heart of Arkansas, its feeder lines connected communities with other lines across the state as well as markets throughout the nation. (Submitted on September 29, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
3. Frisco Train Depot (south elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
4. Frisco Train Depot (east elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
5. Frisco Train Depot (west elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2015
6. Frisco Train Depot
Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 436 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 29, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
