The Railroad Depot
The Eureka Springs Railroad opened in February, 1883. As the first trains arrived at the original station house, a finely crafted wooden structure, passengers were met by horse drawn carriages and hacks which quickly carried them to the best hotels.
The railroad, an 18-mile line from Seligman, Missouri, connected to the Frisco railroad system and assured the success of the resort which could easily be reached from great population centers nationwide.
By 1900 the railroad was extended across Arkansas. By then named Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad, the company ran eight to ten trains daily to Eureka Springs. In the year 1913 the original station house was taken down and replaced with a fine limestone structure which still stands.
Adjacent to the depot property stands the ruins of the Eureka Springs Electric Light and Street Railway Company, granted a franchise in May, 1891, to construct a power plant and provide electricity for private consumers and public street lighting. The company began the street railway that year and the system was operated by electricity in 1899. The limestone structure of massive size housed the power plant until destroyed by fire about 1930. An ice house supplied the resort with home-delivered ice for more than half a century until closing about 1960.
Erected by
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Railroads & Streetcars • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1883.
Location. 36° 24.832′ N, 93° 44.035′ W. Marker is in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in Carroll County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (State Highway 23) and Grand Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 299 North Main Street, Eureka Springs AR 72632, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Steam Locomotive (within shouting distance of this marker); The Round House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Brownstone Inn (about 400 feet away); The Town that Water Built (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Star of Gladness (approx. ¼ mile away); Bridgeford House (approx. ¼ mile away); Grotto Spring (approx. 0.3 miles away); Magnetic Spring (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eureka Springs.
Also see . . . Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. (Submitted on January 7, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 675 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 7, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on November 16, 2015.
