The Train Depot of Opelika "OPELIKA TO HAVE NEW $40,000LJNiONDEPOT", was the bannerheadlineof the 'Opelika DaileyNews', February

will be providedalongwith 9,7922." "Adequate sheds thenew station, suchaccommodations involvedin the commission's as are order. This irnprovement alone,it is pointed out, will be amongthe rnostwelcomed ever contemplated the city, in connection in with railroads depots.During heavyrains, or when hundredsof passengers changecarshereor boardthe train for foreign points, it is necessary becomeexposed the weather to to beforethe objectiveis attained." Quite a changeaccordingto "What is HappeningIn and Around EastAlabama's Metropolis"section the "OpelikaIndustrial of News" of April 9,1897. Whereit "The Westernrailroad is having someneatwire fencingput aroundits part on rnentions: SouthRailroadavenue.""The union depotrestaurant finishedand is in operation.It is is oneof the neatest mosthandsomely and finished buildingswe haveseenand is already doinga goodbusiness.""The new courthousewill be heated with steamand lighted with electricitythroughout.""The new depotwas finishedMonday and now only awaits the furniture to be ready for occupancy.The railroadmen are anticipatingthe change with pleasure, while the public is not so anxiousfor the change." The OpelikaTrain Depot almostvanished from theHistoric Register and Railroad Avenue. City officials,stateandnationalrepresentatives, Opelika'sHistoricPreservatron of Society, Chamber Commerce, OpelikaDowntown,Inc., OpelikaArts Association and EastAlabamaMuseumtook steps helppreserve historicbuilding. to this All rail service had beendiscontinued Opelika.Uniroyal was one of the lastcustomers in and at that time had to ship their products from Columbus. When Opelikans awareof the situation, became theyfirst reacted emotionally with pastexperiences stories Opelikaand its train depot. There and floodingmemories of of was greatsupportfor the effort to "Save the Depot". It is the historic symbol of the birth and growthof Opelika. On February 9,1854,the Legislature Alabamaincorporated of thetown of Opelikain RussellCounty;its limits extended mile in everydirection one from the railway station. Lee Countywas not created until 1866. The railroadcameto this areafwenty yearsbefore the founding of Lee County. By the programs EastAlabamawere completed the 1880s, time the major railroad-building in in Lee County,and Opelika in particular,found itself at the crossroad two importantlines of - lines that continue play a vital role in Southeastern to commerce.In 1854the new town a of Opelikabecame railroadTunction, important an distinctionin the mid-1800s.
The first railroadto be built into what is now Lee County was also the secondline in Alabama and one of the earliestin the South. First charlered the statein 1832as the Montgomery Railroad,the Montgomery by & West Pointreached Loachapoka Auburn in 1847,Opelikain 1848,and completed line to West and its Pointin I 851. By this date,the roadoperated locomotives,0 passenger 8 1 cars,and 74 freightcarsoverits 8 S - m i l e r o u t e , a n d r e c e i p t s f o r t h e l 8 5 0 - 5 l f i s c a l y e a r t o t a l e d $ 1 4 0 ,S m7 .l l , w o o d - f r a m e d e p o t s w e r e 05 a

Auburn, and Opelika. While no detailssurvive of a depot strllcfure for Rough and at erected Loachapoka, and it was likely served of Ready,four miles northeast Opelika,the stop doesappearon early timetables, trainsprovidedscheduled service, and one could go fiom Opelika by a simpleshelter.Trvo daily passenger in in of to in to Montgomery lessthansix hours. Service Atlantabegan 1854,with a change trainsrequired WestPoint. it aboutthis line. From the outset, wasbuilt to what laterbecame Two thingsare of parlicularinterest to "standard gauge,"4'-81/2",instead the 5' gaugemore commonin the South. It changed 5' gauge of the gaugein 1886, makingit perhaps only railroadin the againto standard afterthe Civil War, and changed in countryto undergotwo gaguechanges.The secondchangewas accomplished only three days! Of greater at interestto local residents the time wa its route throughthe area. As the M&WP approached was a few miles north at Oak Bowery, and Auburn, Opelika did not exist as a town. The closestseftlement When the railroad'sactualroutebecameknown, Oak peopletherewantedto be on the new railroad. essentially moved their town to the presentsite of Opelika. It was a propitious move, Bowery residents in GA, which it completed because M&WP chosethat locationto begin its branchline to Columbus, the junction, andimportant in distinction the mid-1800's. the new town of Opelikabecamearalboad 1854, and What really put Opelikaon the map was the constructionof a secondline betweenColumbus and Opelika. as So,evenbeforethe Civil War, we had becomea railroadjunctionpoint. Opelika'sprominence a rail toward Atlanta, to order who was pressingdown from Chattanooga centercaused GeneralSherman, from North Alabama in a calvaryraid and deslroythe railroad befween to GeneralRousseau descend in for to and rolling stock,mainlylocated Opelika,destined the Opelikaand Lochapoka burn supplies defense Alabama. of Confederate from paperby J. LawrenceLee, Excerpts

In the final yearof the Civil War therewere fwo Union raids. Gen.Lovell H. Rousseau Aubum, and Opelika 1864. His troopsburnedthe Loachapoka, Iedthe first in Jr-rly yard, and wye at the and depots, toreup over 30 miles of track anddamaged turntable, operation.Gen.JamesH. Wilson by Opelika. The roadwas repaired fall and resumed - threedaysafterLee'ssurrender Appomattox at on invaded Montgomery April 12, 1865 - andbeganan unnecessary, systematic, destruction the railroadline that endedin of but Columbus andWestPoint four dayslater. Pieclmont Limited, Seminole, passenger trains,includinglhe Crescent, famous Several andthe inceptionof Amtrak in the Lee Countybetween 1890s andCity of Miami, served to trainsstopped Opelika,wherethe currentdepotwas erected in 1971. All of these was at in stmctures 1922. It is clearthat this structure replace two older,wood-frame leastthe fourthdepotbuilt in Opelikaby the two railroads. these once-proud trainswere discontinued traffic declined duringthe 1960s, As passenger until only the City of Miami remained.On April 30,1971,the night before one-by-one trains,it, too, left Opelika for the last Amtrak took overmost of the nation'spassenger servicein Lee County. time,ending125yearsof passenger in Passenger trainsno longercall at stations Lee County,but the long CSX and Norfolk of freighttrainsthat passthroughdaily arenot merelyremnants a bygoneera. Southem tonsor more, thesetratns horsepower fiont and weighing10,000 up With perhaps 12,000 historic,but still vital, links in a modernrailroadsystem. traversing areelfrcientmachines

yearsuntil the OpelikaArts Association secured The Opelikadepotsatvacantfor several it fundingto renovate as its office.

lnventory..." : of Places The description thebuildingas listed in "NationalRegister Flistoric of L-shaped one story,two tone "Old Passenger Depot( 1032SouthRailroadAvenue): c. 1910-1924. slatehip roof with a metal bondbrick buildingwith stoneand brick rowiockbelt coursings; Flemish above. and metalbrackets.Wood framedoublehung windows with transoms by canopy supported chains

Iune23.2004 James Woodrow Plant, aged90, was out taking a stroll one summerday and stoppedby visit the depot. Here are somenotesrecordedfrom what he remembered he walked to as throughthe depotthat day: "I saw this depotbeing built." "I was aboutten yearsold then. I had to come down here to pick up the papersfor my newspaper route." "I watchedthem drive pylons into the ground build this buildingwith a steam to pyle-driver. It was really something watch." to "Me and my Daddy would go to SundaySchooland then buy a ticket to Auburn after11 centsto go to CollegeStreet andspend day." the "Thereusedto be two tracksnorth and south,and three trackseastand west. Used to havea big watertank. Therewas the Central Georgia/West of Point track going from hereto Roanoke comedown everymorningandhave one coachandhaul school children." "Therewas an incline, part dirt and part steel. The telegraphoffice was under the water tank(out wherethe trackscross).Mr. Warlick was the telegraph operator, good fella,I a knewall his childrenand wife too." "Thatstructure seeover therenow is the coal chute." "They put the telegraph we messages mail too in a big bag. Theyhad a big hook to capture mail bag if they and the didn'tstop." "My daddynew every train engineer." "EverySundayeveningthe traindepotwould be the gathering place- couldn't stir with a stickon Sunday evening, everyone comingto seewho was going where,and who was comingin." "I'm living within a Yza block from whereI was born, 1208Third Avenue. Sevenof us wasborn at 1109Third Avenue." "Go to SundaySchooleverySunday, beengoing all my life. Standing the breezeway in churchstarted before recentlyand I didn't know aboutfwo out of ten who went there, usedto know everybody." "My daddyhelpedbuild that church, Trinity Methodist. He workedon it and donated moneyandworked free of charge."