Railroad History Comes Alive In Yorktown

A huge part of our history in this area can be contributed to the railroad. You can learn more about the history of the railroad in our region by attending the program at 6pm today in Yorktown.

Yorktown native and railroad veteran Joe McMillan is the featured speaker at Memories and Memorabilia - the History of the Railroad at 6 p.m. today at the Yorktown Heritage Museum. McMillan, who retired from the Santa Fe Railroad after many years in management, will share historic photographs of Yorktown and the surrounding area. He will also present the museum a San Antonio & Aransas Pass (SA&AP) car record book from August 1889, a year or two after the railroad was built through Yorktown, according to a news release from the Yorktown Historical Society.

"Many years ago, when the old train station was still standing, I recovered an old cash book from the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad (predecessor to the Southern Pacific)," McMillan said in the news release in the Victoria Advocate. "The book was covered in dust in the attic of the depot. Included in it are the names of many Yorktown businesses that were shipping goods by train at that time. "McMillan presented the Yorktown Public Library a copy of his book, "Route of the Warbonnets," in 1978.

Other visiting railroad enthusiasts are expected to share photos and artifacts from the San Antonio & Aransas Pass and Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad  today.

The Yorktown Historical Society presents "Memories and Memorabilia - the History of the Railroad" program at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Yorktown Historical Museum, 144 W. Main St.

For more info call 361-564-9115 or 361-935-5243.

The event is free.