The Depot

The Depot. Replica. , The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company was established in 1849, and its expanding rail lines reached the Frisco area in the early 1900s. The first train rolled through town on March 20, 1902, as the tracks from Denison to Carrollton were completed. The site for the train depot and town was chosen to take advantage of the water from nearby Stewart Creek. A dam was constructed by the railroad and Frisco Lake was formed, supplying ample water for steam locomotives as well as recreation for residents., The Depot was located on the west side of the railroad tracks near Main Street for 63 years. The original depot was removed in 1965 and the replica you see today was built from the original plans. The interior consisted of waiting rooms, an agent’s office, and a large warehouse for freight. The waiting rooms and office space were heated by pot-bellied stoves and lighted by oil lamps. , The Depot was the hub of the town as it provided not only transportation, but also an outlet for entertainment as locals would gather in anticipation to see who would get off the trains. The local economy relied on the railroad to transport farmers’ crops and bring in goods and supplies for the residents of Frisco. Freight trains still pass through Frisco today on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. , Heritage Stories , Have you ever wondered how the City of Frisco got its logo? In the late 1800s, G.H. Nettleton, vice president of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad, noticed a raccoon hide tacked to the wall of the railway station at Neosho, Missouri during an inspection. Agent Sam Albright supplemented the income from his railway job by hunting raccoons to sell the hides. When Nettleton heard of Albright’s financial struggles, he bought the hide from Mr. Albright for $2. Shortly after, the shape of the raccoon hide oriented horizontally started showing up in the railroad headquarters in St. Louis. The railroad name Frisco was a combination of the “FR” from San Francisco, the “IS” from the end of St. Louis, and the “CO” from Company. When BNSF merged with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company in 1980, the Frisco logo was no longer used. The City of Frisco acquired the rights to use it in 2007. , Passenger tickets for travel on the Frisco line were sold in packets. Frisco lines provided service throughout the southern and midwestern United States. , The early steam engines that passed through Frisco required water that was supplied by the nearby Stewart Creek. Tanks like this one were located near the Depot. , Original Frisco Depot, early 1960s.