The Frisco Depot

The Frisco Depot. . This active and restored railroad depot, completed around 1902 by the Frisco Railroad Company, stands as a living memorial to the entrepreneurial spirit and the great periods of commerce that railroads brought to our city. , As early as 1853, Mr. John Drennen, Judge Jesse Turner, Albert Pike and others were trying to get the railroad built into Crawford County. The citizens of the area contributed at least $15,000.00 to help pay the bonds for the ambitious undertaking. The Civil War stopped the forward progress; however in 1869 another push was made to see it completed. By 1871 another 120 miles had been completed and the first train finally rolled into Van Buren on June 24, 1876...And Van Buren and Crawford County would never be the same. It sits near the spot the Frisco freight depot once stood, where farmers from all over the area brought their cotton, peaches, strawberries, potatoes, apples, pears and other crops to load onto the railroad to go to Kansas City, St. Louis and other points North, where anxious buyers were waiting. , The Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad immediately began work on a passenger depot, later called the Missouri-Pacific. A Union Depot was also built at the junction of the two railroads which were located at the end of Broadway Street. The first passenger train over the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway arrived on November 15, 1882. Freight and produce were already in full swing, and the area finally saw the growth and prosperity which had been stopped by the Civil War. , The Frisco Depot was a hub for travel to and from Van Buren by train and bus. Citizens would leave from Van Buren to see the world. Ball teams would leave heading to tournaments. Crawford County produce also made it to St. Louis World's Fair. Citizens would wave their soldiers off to war and wait patiently at the train stations for them to come home again., The last Missouri-Pacific passenger train rolled out of Van Buren about 1976, but citizens were determined to see this important part of its history preserved. The Van Buren Urban Renewal Commission Chairman Dr. Louis Peer, said "Van Buren was determined to preserve its links to the past for the future." The City of Van Buren acquired the depot from Frisco and the extensive renovation began. From the roof structure to the scrapping away of sometimes seven layers of paint, David Fitts, architect for the project, wanted the end result to be as close to the original appearance and atmosphere as possible., In the fall of 1979, a grand reopening of the Frisco Depot was held with Senator David Pryor as the featured speaker and he assisted with the ribbon cutting. Senator Pryor said, "It is history that teaches us to hope" as he congratulated the town for "taking the best of yesterday and making it work for today and tomorrow." , The Frisco depot was the first building restored on Main Street and served as the catalyst for many other improvements to Main Street during the late 70's and early 80's. , The Depot was home to the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce until 2002. Since 1989, the Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission has called the building home as well as the Tourist Information Center for Van Buren, a museum and the ticket office for the A&M Excursion Train. , As the Frisco publication All Aboard said about the 1979 dedication, "The restored Frisco Depot is a symbol , a symbol of the civic well-being of Van Buren."