December 4, 1975

Whitewright Landmark - the Old Katy Depot - to Become Memory
Another Whitewright Landmark is soon to become a memory. 

1910

The Katy depot which served Whitewright as a passenger and freight depot for more than 60 years is to be demolished by its new owner Carl Yeats of Trenton. 

The depot has been closed since the 1960s when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad - more commonly referred to as the "Katy" - ended passenger service.   For years, the depot was one of the busiest spots in town as grain, flour, cotton and other farm products were shipped out while many products moved into Whitewright by train.

And during apple harvest time in Arkansas, the depot was a very busy place as one or more carloads of apples came into Whitewright by train with the box car being parked on a siding near the depot building.  Residents of Whitewright and surrounding areas hauled them home by the wagonloads or in smaller amounts for the winter season for eating or making apple jelly, apple butter, and other products.

It wasn't often that the "Texas Special" or other crack passenger trains of the railroad stopped at the depot, but the special trains would stop to take on or let off passengers.

Regular passenger service was provided by the local passenger trains that stopped at every depot on the line regardless of size to pick up or let off passengers.

For years the Katy provided special trains to Dallas during the State Fair.  The train would pick up passengers in Whitewright around 5 o'clock in the morning and bring them back home by 11 o'clock that night.   Special excursion fares were provided for trips to Galveston, San Antonio and other vacation spots.

Carl Yeats of Trenton purchased the old building from the Katy and plans to demolish the structure in the near future for the material that can be salvaged from it.

Since the depot was closed during the 1960s, it has been vacant and some windows were boarded up.  The paint has flaked off and portions of the roof have blown off or worn out.

Whitewright residents once gathered at the depot to watch the fast passenger trains go through or to greet visitors.
All mail came to the city by the train and was taken from the train to the post office, which was located on Bond Street and then on Grand, before being moved to its present location.

It was a Katy passenger train that brought the papers carrying the first news of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I to Whitewright November 11, 1918.

The depot was a gathering place for persons expecting visitors; they would stand around the big stove in the waiting room and exchange stories and tales of events past and present.