There are a lot of beautiful old Rock Island depots still standing in Arkansas. Just a few years ago many of these were in really bad shape, but now most have been restored. Beyond the Little Rock Station and Bridge, here I'm looking at other depots and remnants of the railroad. It's far from a complete listing of what's still there, but rather a collection of what I've seen. Along with my photos, I've also included vintage postcard images of some stations, said to have been taken by photographer H.D. Conner. As with all other photos on this site, you can click on any photo to see a higher quality, full-size image.

I'll start by heading east from Little Rock, looking at the stretch that was originally part of the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, created by a special act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1853. The full line was completed and put into connecting service in 1871. It would be bought in 1898 by the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf, which would lay new track heading west, connecting it with Oklahoma. In 1904 it would all become part of the quickly expanding Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific. Most of these depots were built over the decade that followed and because of their durable construction, managed to survive, despite many spending years abandoned later in the century. Much of what's below can be seen while driving along Highway 70.

ARGENTA (NORTH LITTLE ROCK) DEPOT:

This truly is a success story because a decade ago this building in downtown North Little Rock was falling in and was known as a place for illegal activity. It was built in 1913 in the Spanish Colonial-Mediterranean style at the corner of 4th Street and Hazel. Chiseled in stone on each side of the building is the city's previous name Argenta. With the Rock Island's demise in 1980, the building fell into disrepair, as evident in the 1984 postcard to the left.

Local officials had been discussing various plans to renovate it for years, but finally one was put in place, with work beginning in 1997. The exterior was completely redone, first rebuilding the roof by replacing missing and broken tiles. Then the brick walls were redone, returning it to its original appearance. Today it serves as a community center and daycare, as shown in these photos, the one to the right taken in December 2004, the ones below from December 2002. Tracks no longer run in front of the old depot, but when they did, it was only a mile or so down the line, east of the Rock Island's Little Rock bridge and depot. The fact that the railroad had two depots so close to each other shows what a barrier the Arkansas River once was, as well as the politics of pleasing both communities.

NEAR GALLOWAY:

There is no railroad building here, just outside of North Little Rock, but I wanted to point out that this is one of the few spots along this stretch where there is still track from what was part of the original Little Rock to Memphis main line. It's now operated by the Arkansas Midland Railroad, which acquired this, along with a few other parts of former Rock Island trackage, from Union Pacific in 1992. It serves some industries in the area that still need rail service. In other industrial areas once served by the Rock Island, like just east of here in Lonoke, companies now have to rely on trucking to get supplies in and out

LONOKE DEPOT:

This was the next major stop heading east. Built in a very similar style to the Argenta depot in 1914, the Lonoke station has never fallen into quite the disrepair seen elsewhere. Today it is headquarters for the town's Chamber of Commerce and other city offices, at the corner of US 70 and Center Street. One very interesting relic is the Semaphore signals, which would be horizontal if a train needed to stop at the station or vertical if it could pass.

NEAR THE LONOKE-PRAIRIE COUNTY LINE:

Near County Line Road, photographed in December 2004, this railroad crossing sign remains, even though the tracks are long gone. Not far away is a fuse box that stood alongside block signals. The cement bases where the signals once stood are also still there. Why they would remove the track and signals, but leave this and another fuse box a short distance away, I'm not sure. Also nearby, in a section where the grass has grown high, ballast worn deep into the ground by more than a century of railroad traffic, marks a clear trail where the tracks once ran, even though its been a decade or so since they were removed.

HAZEN DEPOT:

This station, located on US 70, is another beautifully restored building that is now owned by the local town. Rails have been taken up here as well, except for a short stretch that has a small motorman's car and a Union Pacific caboose. I'm somewhat bothered that UP puts its cabooses on old Rock Island properties, but I guess since they donated the 1915 depot after acquiring the line, they should be able to put in a plug for themselves. Note the unique triangle shaped block signals and an old railroad trestle nearby that is now part of a bicycle and walking path.

WHITE RIVER BRIDGE AT DUVALL'S BLUFF:

This is an amazing old bridge that's not used anymore, with the tall lift span that's locked in the up position. A few years ago a cement bridge for Highway 70 was built directly beside it, with the roadway at almost equal height as the lift span's deck.

BISCOE:

This is another one of the spots along the line where the local community seems to have memorialized the Rock Island by leaving up the old crossing signals, minus the X railroad crossing sign. If you note, the rails are also still in the roadway, although they're cut off on each side of the crossing. I imagine that it had to have been a real blow for small communities like Biscoe to lose the Rock Island because suddenly, after having a key vein crossing through the center of town for more than a century, they were left more isolated and on their own.

BRINKLEY DEPOT:

This is another station that was in such bad shape that at one point it seemed destined to be torn down. In fact, the Central Delta Historical Society had to launch a campaign to stop eventual owner Union Pacific from demolishing the building. The Arkansas Highway Commission awarded $640,000 to the city, along with donations from elsewhere, to restore the Union Depot. Built in 1912, this station is unique in that it was shared by both the Rock Island and Cotton Belt railroads, with the two lines crossing here. Beginning here the old Rock Island track is used by Union Pacific heading into Memphis. West of here is taken up.

FORREST CITY:

No depot here anymore, but the old Rock Island track, now used by Union Pacific, still cuts through town near this marker for Forrest City's founder, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. It notes his efforts leading construction of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad. It fails to note that he was a wealthy slave trader and, after the Civil War, a leader in the Ku Klux Klan. From here to Memphis, which was the eastern-most point for this stretch of track, there's not a lot more relics of the Rock Island. Also the track pulls away from Highway 70, which it mostly parallels up to this point.

THE MEMPHIS CENTRAL STATION:

This was the end of the line for the Rock Island, at the Memphis station it shared with the Illinois Central, Frisco and eventually, in the 1960's, the Louisville and Nashville. The station was opened in 1914 at the corner of Calhoun and South Main Street. It is said to have had 10 tracks, five stub and five through lines. The stub tracks were used by the Rock Island and Frisco, which would back their trains in, while the through tracks were used by the Illinois Central. But when the railroads abandoned passenger service and the IC stopped using it as a divisional headquarters, the building fell into disrepair, despite its continued use by Amtrak. In the 1990's it underwent a $23.2 million dollar renovation and continues to serve Amtrak trains. The office building part of it is now apartments, while the stub lines have been removed and the spot is now parking lots and a local police precinct. Central Station is also served today by the Memphis Main Street and Riverfront Trolley lines.