Transportation Timeline

Transportation Timeline. . , 1870's , 1875 March 10. The San Antonio and Fredericksburg Narrow Gauge Railway Company is chartered., 1877 February. The arrival of the first steam train into San Antonio on tracks laid by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad (GH&SA). It was a smoke belching, stove-pipe model pulling a baggage car and one passenger coach, filled with officials. A band met the train, and half the town's population, some 8,000 people, celebrated its arrival., 1880's , 1883. The first train arrived from San Francisco on a line built by the Southern Pacific (SP)., 1884 August 7. San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company (SA&AP) is chartered, with its general offices in San Antonio. A depot is built at the corner of South Flores and Aransas Street., 1884 August 13. SA&AP stockholders met and elected directors. Augustus Belknap was elected president of the railroad., 1884 August 27. SA&AP Directors voted down a proposal to build a narrow gauge route., 1884 September 3. George Polk was chosen to survey potential routes for the SA&AP., 1884 October. Polk completed the survey and submitted to Augustus Belknap., 1885 March 15. SA&AP construction crew arrives in San Antonio., 1885 March 18. Construction began with a ceremony and tossing of the first shovel of soil by President Lott., 1886 January 7. 30 miles of track completed to Floresville., 1886 January 28. Ceremony in Floresville to celebrate the arrival of the SA&AP., 1886 Spring. Uriah Lott needs funding to continue building the line and offers to build extensions to any town willing to raise subscriptions of $180,000 and donations of right-of way. Mifflin Kenedy agrees to build the line in return for all subscriptions and bonuses raised from towns and individuals along the route., 1886 June 17. First SA&AP train arrives in Beeville., 1886 August 26. The SA&AP begins grading and construction of the 71 mile Northwest Extension, later called the Kerrville Branch, from San Antonio., 1886 October 28. The SA&AP reached Corpus Christi, making a deepwater port more accessible to San Antonio than the Port of Galveston., 1886 November 8. The SA&AP Town Site Company is formed to develop towns along the route., 1887. The SA&AP was running three passenger trains and up to six freights a day into and out of San Antonio., 1887 March 1. Dr. Ferdinand Herff and guests on a private excursion train furnished by the SA&AP arrive at the end of track on the outskirts of Boerne., 1887 March 12. First excursion to Boerne, 31 miles to the north, cost 95 cents and took two hours., 1887 Spring. Train reaches Waring (formerly Waringford)., 1887 Summer. The wooden bridge over the Guadalupe River is completed and the rail line veers westward to Comfort., 1887 August. Train reached Comfort., 1887 September. SA&AP rails reach Kerrville, a distance of 71 miles., 1887 October 6. At 11:45 A.M. an excursion train powered by engine #11, the A.C. Schryver, followed by six new coaches from San Antonio arrived in Kerrville., 1890's , 1890 July 14. SA&AP goes into receivership with B.F. Yoakum and J.S. McNamara named as receivers., 1892 June 16. Receivership was terminated and the line was acquired by Southern Pacific (SP)., 1898 May 30. From the SA&AP Depot in San Antonio, Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders leave for Florida and their embarkation to Cuba for the famed charge on San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War., 1900's , 1900 July 15. Two sections of the SA&AP Guadalupe River railroad bridge are swept downstream by floodwaters. It took five months to replace the bridge and restore service., 1901. The SP completes construction of the Mission-style depot, complete with incandescent lighting., 1903 March. The Texas Railroad Commission forces SP to give up control of the SA&AP by selling to the Texas and New Orleans Railroad (T&NO)., 1907. The SP Sunset Station catches fire and burns., 1910's , 1912 March 18. At the SP roundhouse in San Antonio, 26 people are killed by an exploding steam locomotive boiler., 1913. The Kerrville SA&AP Depot is destroyed by fire., 1913 January 3. The San Antonio, Fredericksburg and Northern Railway Company (SAF&N) is chartered., 1913 August 26. SAF&N construction train passes through the "Big Hill" tunnel., 1913 October 27. First SAF&N train arrives in Fredericksburg., 1913 November 18-20. Fredericksburg rejoices in its Great Railroad Opening Jubilee., 1915. A masonry depot building is constructed in Kerrville to replace the original frame depot. The masonry depot still stands and is located on North Street., 1916. The pile bridge over Big Joshua Creek washed out. An alert brakemen brought the rain to a stop just before the passenger coaches would have fallen into the deep ravine., 1916. December 11. The SA&AP Comfort Depot burns completely., 1917 March 16. The new T&NO Comfort Depot, located within a few hundred feet of the original depot, is opened for business., 1917 December 26. The Fredericksburg and Northern Railway Company (F&N) is chartered., 1917 December 31. The SAF&N was sold at a foreclosure sale. It was purchased and deeded to the F&N., 1919 The F&N fared much better than its predecessor. It grossed $15,353 and showed a profit of $3,003. The railroad company continued to grow and had two steam locomotives., 1920's , 1924. SP applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to acquire the SA&AP and lease it to the SP controlled GH&SA., 1925 April 8. ICC approves the lease of the SA&AP to the GH&SA., 1925. SP takes over the SA&AP Depot which is then leased to a furniture store for almost ten years., 1930's , 1939 December. The San Antonio SA&AP Depot is demolished by the Leppard Lumber and Wrecking Company., 1940's , 1942 July 27. The F&N ceases operation. The rails are salvaged for scrap to assist the war effort., 1945. Passenger traffic on the SA&AP Kerrville Branch is discontinued., 1950's , 1959. The SP abandons the Center Point Depot., 1959 August 5. T&NO railroad has a public hearing at the courthouse in Boerne regarding the application to abandon the Boerne Depot., 1960's , 1961 November 1. The T&NO is merged into the SP., 1966 September 24. The SP officially closes the Comfort Depot., 1969. The San Antonio Missouri-Kansas Texas (MKT) Depot is demolished., 1970's , 1970 May. The last freight train makes its final run to Kerrville and returns to San Antonio that evening., 1971 May 1. AMTRAK takes over all passenger service in the United States. SP was the last independent passenger service to San Antonio. AMTRAK takes over the SP Depot., 1973. The SA&AP Boerne Depot is dismantled and moved to Seguin for the construction of various ranch out buildings., 1980's , 1982 December 22. Union Pacific (UP) acquires the Missouri Pacific., 1988. UP acquires the MKT., 1990's , 1996 September. UP merges with the SP. San Antonio is now served solely by the UP., 1998. AMTRAK moves out of the historic SP Sunset Station. The station, owned by the City of San Antonio, had fallen into severe disrepair., 1999. The new, smaller AMTRAK Depot is opened., 2000's , 2002. The rails, ties and bridges are removed from the Kerrville Branch of the SA&AP line extending from Mission Cemetery to Camp Stanley.,