Old Brookeland Depot
San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Formerly on Great Northern Railway, organized 1898 by John Henry Kirby, a leading Texas lumberman. Named for the Brooke family, donors of depot site. In 1960, when Sam Rayburn Dam was built, G. N. Railway (part of Santa Fe system) was relocated. This 1914 depot-- once center of community life-- became surplus. Moved 40 miles, it has had unique features preserved in conversion to farm house by Mr. and Mrs. Ray H. Horton. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This 1914 depot stood on the Gulf & Interstate line organized by John Henry Kirby, one of the great Texas lumber barons, and took its name from the Brooke family who gave the land. For decades the depot was the beating heart of Brookeland, until construction of the Sam Rayburn Dam in 1960 forced the railroad to relocate and left the station surplus. Hauled 40 miles and lovingly converted into a farmhouse, it survives with its distinctive features preserved.
Why it matters
Small-town depots were the lifelines of rural America, and this one ties together the timber industry, the railroads that carried it, and the mid-century dam projects that reshaped the East Texas map.
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Related people
- · John Henry Kirby
Themes & tags
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