Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers Spring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers Spring
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 119 W. Main St., Antlers, Oklahoma |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1911 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003298 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1980 |
The Frisco Depot and the nearby Antlers Spring are important historical places in Antlers, Oklahoma, United States. These two sites are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are recognized for their special history.
Contents
The Antlers Frisco Depot and Spring
A Railroad Town is Born
The town of Antlers exists because of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, often called the Frisco Railroad. This railroad started running in June 1887. It was built through the mountains and thick forests of the Choctaw Nation in what was then called the Indian Territory.
The railroad brought many changes to the area. Every day, three passenger trains traveled in each direction, along with two freight trains. This meant ten trains passed through daily, connecting the wilderness to other places.
To keep the tracks in good shape, the railroad built "section houses" every few miles. Workers at these houses were responsible for maintaining the tracks and the land around them.
How Antlers Got Its Name
One of these section houses was built where Antlers is today. There was a fresh water spring nearby, which was perfect for the trains. Around this spring, hunters had nailed many deer antlers to trees as trophies. These antlers became a well-known landmark. The station was first called Beaver Station, but it was soon renamed Antlers because of these deer antlers.
Antlers quickly grew into a busy town. It had a wooden railroad station and a downtown area mostly made of wood. In 1904, a huge fire destroyed much of the town. After the fire, town leaders made a rule that all new buildings had to be fireproof, made of brick, stone, or cement. This rule meant the Frisco Railroad had to build a strong, brick depot instead of a wooden one.
A New Brick Depot
In March 1913, the railroad announced plans for a new brick building. Construction began two months later, and the new depot opened on June 5, 1914. This depot quickly became the most important building in Antlers.
Crowds often gathered to greet arriving passenger trains, as many people traveled by rail. Business owners also waited for freight trains, which brought goods to sell or picked up local products for shipment. For many decades, the depot was the busiest place in the entire county.
The End of Train Travel
On February 1, 1958, a new era began as the Frisco Railroad stopped its passenger train service. This happened as more highways were built and more people started using personal automobiles.
Freight service continued until February 1981. By then, the Burlington Northern Railroad had bought the Frisco Railroad. They closed and removed all tracks and bridges north of Antlers. South of town, the tracks remained, and wood products continued to be loaded onto trains at the Antlers Depot. This lasted until 1990, when a new loading area was built just south of Antlers.
In 1984, the Pushmataha County Historical Society was formed. Their first big goal was to get the abandoned Antlers depot and turn it into a county museum. On June 1, 1985, U.S. Senator Don Nickles announced that Burlington Northern would donate the depot to the historical society. The society then began its work to restore and preserve the building.
Inside the Historic Depot
The depot building has an Italianate style, meaning it looks like buildings from Italy. It is long and low, measuring 100 feet long and 30 feet wide. It is made of red brick with a flat roof.
About half of the building was for passengers, and the other half was for storing or moving freight. In the past, the building had separate waiting rooms for different groups of people, which was a common practice at the time but is no longer used today. It had a waiting room for white passengers, a ticket office, and a waiting room for Black passengers.
When the depot was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, it was mostly empty. However, the original ticket windows and desks, made of walnut wood, were still there. The controls for the train order board were also still in place and being used.
The Antlers Spring
The Antlers Spring, which gave the town its name, had changed over time. It was enclosed by a concrete wall and roof. While it still flowed, it had not been well-maintained. Despite its condition, its historical importance was recognized, and it was included with the depot on the National Register of Historic Places.
What's Happening at the Depot Today?
Today, the Antlers Depot is home to the Pushmataha County Chamber of Commerce and the Pushmataha County Historical Society. The Chamber of Commerce uses the area that was once the waiting room for white passengers. The Historical Society uses the former ticket office, the waiting room for Black passengers, and the freight room.
There was a disagreement about who officially owned the building for a while. The historical society believed they owned it outright since 1985. However, the City of Antlers also claimed ownership, showing legal papers that transferred the deed to the city.
Even with these differences, the two groups worked together very well. They cooperated to preserve and operate the depot for the public. The building now serves solely as the home of the historical society. It is open to visitors and staffed by volunteers throughout the week.
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