The history of the United States cannot truly be told without recognizing the important role of the railroad and the thousands of miles of rails that were laid during the latter part of the 19th century.
To many, the very sound the mighty steam engines made as they lumbered across America, and particularly the lonesome sound of its steam powered whistle, fed the wanderlust of an entire generation that followed the advice of newspaper editor Horace Greely.
“Go West, young man,” he advised, and they did so riding the rails all the way to the Pacific, fueling the expansion of our country west of the Mississippi.
Poplar Bluff’s rich railroad history is celebrated at the MO-ARK Regional Railroad Museum, located at the old depot across from the Black River Coliseum. Inside, you will find 149 years of history relating to the role railroads had in the Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri area.
The old St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Spanish-Colonial style building that served the community up until 1965. It’s a striking reminder of a different era.
David Silverberg, president of the board for the museum, said of the depot’s creation, “The building was built in 1928. It’s a Frisco train station, happy it’s been preserved for 93 years.”
The first railroad came to Poplar Bluff in 1872, meaning trains have been trundling through Poplar Bluff for 149 years. From 1872 to 1907, it was the primary mode of transportation to other communities in the area until the arrival of the first car to the city in 1907.
Inside the museum, you’ll find a large wooden wheel manufactured in St. Louis that is over 100 years old. It was used in the sand molding process to make the iron wheels for steam locomotives. There is a bell from a steam locomotive that rings as true as it did the day it was forged.
Outside the museum, visitors can walk through a Missouri Pacific caboose. A Frisco caboose and a Union Pacific baggage/mail car are on display as well, but are not open to the public. A switching display and whistle sign next to the Missouri Pacific caboose are an example of how railroads operated before automation.
“We have about a 9-foot-tall whistle sign that used to be along the tracks years ago. We were able to mount this here, and it’s got a W on one side so that the engineer knew when to blow the whistle when he went by,” Silverberg said.
The signal tower recently had the lights repaired and is now operational as well.
You can buy supplies for your model train layout at the store housed inside the museum and find inspiration on how to build one by viewing the elaborate model train layouts on display. The first one you will see is an elevated train in the main exhibit area, which was the waiting room for passengers. The largest one has three trains running along a 33-foot multi track exhibit, complete with mountains, tunnels and a small village.
In 2019, a donation by a retired missionary, the Rev. Richard Brosseau, brought the third display, an example of an English train layout, to the museum. The 16-foot long exhibit has become a highlight for many who visit.
“The volunteers have done a great job of making it fit and our visitors enjoy seeing an English train layout in our museum,” Silverberg said.
Admission to the museum is free, but donations are encouraged. Operating hours are 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays, and Silverberg invites you to come and see this important part of Poplar Bluff’s history.
“We’re celebrating our 30th anniversary this year as a museum. We would be glad to have a lot of people come visit us throughout the year,” he said.