Lick Skillet Railroad Work Station Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brinkley
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| Former Rock Island Line passenger station | ||
Former Union Station, today the Central Delta Depot Museum
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| Location | 100 West Cypress Street, Brinkley, Arkansas 72021 | |
| Platforms | 1 | |
| History | ||
| Rebuilt | 1912 | |
| Services | ||
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Lick Skillet Railroad Work Station Historic District
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of E. Cypress St. and New Orleans Ave., Brinkley, Arkansas | |
| Built | 1912 | |
| Architect | Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific RR | |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Mission/Spanish Revival, Mediterranean Revival | |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000558 | |
| Added to NRHP | June 1, 1992 | |
The Lick Skillet Railroad Work Station Historic District is a special area in Brinkley, Arkansas. It was recognized as a historic place in 1992. This means it has important buildings and history that should be protected.
The district includes the old Brinkley Union Station. This station was a busy spot where two major railroads met. These were the Rock Island and Cotton Belt lines. Another railroad, the Missouri Pacific, also used the station for some of its trains.
You can find this historic area in Monroe County, in eastern Arkansas. The district also includes the Rusher Hotel, which was once known as the Great Southern Hotel.
A Busy Train Station in Brinkley
Brinkley's Union Station was built in 1912. It was designed to be used by all the different train companies that passed through Brinkley. This made it a central hub for travel and trade.
Passenger trains from the Cotton Belt line stopped running through Brinkley in 1959. The very last Rock Island passenger train left Brinkley on November 10, 1967. After that, the Rock Island tracks west of Brinkley were taken apart in the mid-1980s.
Famous Trains That Stopped Here
Many well-known passenger trains used to stop at Brinkley Union Station. These trains carried people across the country. Some of them included:
- Choctaw Rocket
- Lone Star
- Morning Star
Both the old station and the nearby Rusher Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are part of the Lick Skillet Railroad Work Station Historic District.
From Station to Museum
After many years of being empty, Brinkley Union Station got a new life. It was carefully restored and is now the Central Delta Depot Museum. This museum is run by the Central Delta Historical Society.
The museum teaches visitors about the history of the Arkansas Delta region. You can learn about nature, farming, and the culture of the area. There are displays about old railroad items and how people used to dive for mussels.
You can also see exhibits about famous jazz musician Louis Jordan. There are military items, wildlife displays, and old household objects. Outside, the museum grounds have more to explore. You can see a train depot that was moved from Monroe, Arkansas. There is also a sharecropper’s house and an old Southern Pacific Railroad caboose.
