Hope station (Arkansas) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hope, AR
The historic MoPac station building in 2007
Location	100 East Division Street Hope, Arkansas United States
Coordinates	33°40′08″N 93°35′32″W / 33.66889°N 93.59222°W / 33.66889; -93.59222
Owned by	City of Hope
Line(s)	Union Pacific Railroad
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak code: HOP
History
Opened	1912 (StLIM&S) April 4, 2013 (Amtrak)
Closed	1968
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	1,691  5.16%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Texarkana toward Los Angeles or San Antonio Texas Eagle Arkadelphia toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Missouri Pacific Railroad Following station Guernsey toward Texarkana Texarkana – St. Louis Emmet toward St. Louis
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot--Hope
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location	Jct. of E. Division and Main Sts., Hope, Arkansas
Built	1917 (1917)
Architectural style	Mediterranean Revival
Part of	Hope Historic Commercial District (ID95000905)
MPS	Historic Railroad Depots of Arkansas MPS
NRHP reference No.	92000610
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 11, 1992
Designated CP	July 28, 1995
Location
Hope, AR Location in Arkansas

The Hope train station is a place where people can catch a passenger train in Hope, Arkansas. This station is a stop on Amtrak's Texas Eagle train line. Trains run every day between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas. On three days a week, the train even continues all the way to Los Angeles, California! That's a very long journey, covering 2,728 miles (4,390 km).

History of the Hope Station

The Hope train station is a historic building made of red brick. It was built in 1912 by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad. This company was part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, often called "MoPac."

Building Style and Original Use

The station shows off MoPac's special Mediterranean Revival style of architecture. You can see this style in its gabled red tile roof, which looks like roofs you might see in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. This building was a "combination depot." This means it was designed to handle both passengers and express services (like sending packages) all under one roof.

From Disrepair to a Museum

The station was used for passengers until November 1968. After that, it was not taken care of for many years. However, its importance was recognized when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 11, 1992.

Hope is the hometown of Bill Clinton, who became the U.S. president in 1992. To celebrate this, a group of local citizens wanted to turn the old depot into a museum about his life. The Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, which had become part of Union Pacific Railroad, gave the depot to the city in 1994.

The building was renovated and opened to the public in 1995. Today, it serves as a museum and a visitor information center for people visiting Hope.

Bringing Amtrak Service Back

Because of the interest in Bill Clinton's hometown, city leaders talked to Amtrak in 1993. They wanted Hope to become a regular stop for the Texas Eagle train again. During the renovation of the depot, a part of the building was even set aside. The idea was that it could one day be used as a waiting room for train passengers.

The hard work of the city officials paid off! In October 2010, Amtrak announced that Hope would become a scheduled stop. Each part of the concrete platform at the station has "Hope, a Slice of the Good Life" stamped into it. This is the city's logo and a fun nod to the famous watermelons grown in Hope.

Amtrak service officially started on April 4, 2013. The very first train was welcomed with fireworks early in the morning! More than 150 local people boarded the Texas Eagle to ride to Texarkana. Then, they returned on school buses to enjoy a community breakfast back in Hope.