I remember as a child in the 70's wondering into the depot. My cousins and friends had played on the scale that was used for cotton and other things many times. One day I heard that the depot was closed and might be torn down. I went uptown and walked into the depot. It had been scavanged and there was almost nothing left. I found a large stack of brown paper that was about 12" by 30" and an old phone book from 1964 for Holly Grove and Clarendon. I took the paper and the phone book home. I used the paper to draw on for several weeks. I later learned that the paper was used to roll samples of cotton in for delivery to the markets to judge the quality of the crop. While this post is not significate to the history of HG or the Depot, the thought of the times on the scale with my friends and the paper were a lasting memory for me.
From the 1986 Bank of Holly Grove calendar (along with photo):
In the late spring of 1953 the last steam locomotive came to Holly Grove. The newer, cleaner burning diesel engines were the next type to replace the old 'stacks.' Pictured are George Fitzgerald, engineer; Bob Suddith, fireman; H. Sands, conductor; and Garland McDonald, Depot agent.
Also:
The Holly Grove Depot, built in 1898 and still standing on this same site, was a very important center of the town. All train traffic and freight was controlled through the facility. The Train Order Signal lamp on the side of the depot building was controlled by the agent on duty. The building was remodeled in 1928 by the military and the present stucco siding was added. It was gray in color and all doors were painted colonial yellow with brown trim. Presently the depot has been renovated into an attractive restaurant for the town, with a porch added to the north side.
-- Edited by Jane Dearing Dennis at 13:58, 2007-02-21
John Smith, the train engineer, was gg-grandmother, Susan Smith Renfro's, brother. Everyone called him Uncle Bud. When their mother was still alive (my ggg grandmother, Eliza Cocke Smith), family members would roll her in a wheelchair down to the train depot in the late afternoon so she could visit with her son before his last train run each day.
Here are some highlights of a story I wrote back in 1978 about the Holly Grove Depot while I was an intern at the Sentinel newspaper in Clarendon.
"History is Preserved in Holly Grove’s Depot" June 14, 1978 The Sentinel newspaper, Clarendon, Ark.
By Jane Dearing
The Holly Grove Depot, located in the center of town and always a hub of activity, brought goods, news, passengers and excitement to the rural community. Through its evolution from train station to store house to the present-day depot restaurant, a unique flavor of history has been preserved.
It all began back in 1873 when more than 47 miles of railroad were laid by the Arkansas Central Railway Company connecting Helena and Clarendon, with further plans to continue to Little Rock. However, this company foreclosed and the railroad was sold to a straw party, who in turn gave title to the Arkansas Midland Railroad Company. Eventually, Missouri Pacific lines took over the railroad.
A large holly thicket in the center of town was cut down in 1898 and the new Holly Grove train station was built on land donated by J.M. Smith and James Kerr. The original building was a structure made of cypress and housing two waiting rooms, a freight room and the agent’s office.
It has been recorded that one of the early engineers was John Smith and “Old Jim” was the porter who came each day from Clarendon through Duncan and carried passengers to Helena at the crack of dawn and returned home at dusk. These trips included stops at Pine City, Palmer, Postelle, Marvell and Barton.
The early trains usually consisted of a steam locomotive, two passenger cars and one baggage car. In the summer, the cars were open, letting in dirt and cinders as well as air. In the winter, the cars were heated by a coal burning pot-bellied stove, and later by steam heat.
The depot continued to be the central outlet for all travel in the area. Drummers (traveling salesmen) would come in on the train, spend the night at the local hotel (yes, Holly Grove once even had a hotel!) then they would be gone on the early morning train.
The railroad was the surest way to transport farm products to market, as well as bringing goods into Holly Grove. Merchants such as Mayo and Mayo, who were in the “furnishing business,” ordered sugar and flower by the boxcar load.
In addition to the most frequent shipments, cotton and timber, all kinds of products were brought in by train. Old receipts discovered in the attic of the depot several years ago are evidence of the goods that passed through the depot. There were orders for apples, meal, bananas, watches, wallpaper, picture frames, suits, hats, whiskey and other merchandise.
These goods came from businesses such as Sears, Roebuck and Co., J.W. Peters Fish and Oyster Co., Todd Smith and Co. Fine Millinery, Fred Dauffmann-the American Tailor, Dr. Slocum’s New System of Medicine, and Wm. L. Lemp Brewing Co.
During the war years, trains were a major mode of transportation. With gas rationing and money in short supply, few families owned cars. The roads were in bad condition, so trains were in demand. But with the conclusion of World War II, the roads were improved, more cars came into circulation, and therefore, the railways were in less demand. The train continued to run, although not on a regularly scheduled basis and eventually carrying only freight cars. Around 1955 the Missouri Pacific railroad removed several miles of track between Holly Grove and Clarendon and the originally planned Helena to Little Rock line ended at Holly Grove.
In the summer of 1974, the only restaurant in Holly Grove went out of business. The café had become the central place for people of the community to meet and discuss mutual farming matters, fishing news and problems of the community, county, state and nation. The town’s civic clubs were looking for a place for their dinner meetings also. It was obvious that Holly Grove needed a restaurant, so interested eyes began to focus on the soon-to-be vacant depot.
A meeting was called by several people who hoped to see the town landmark preserved. From this meeting, the depot building was secured from the farm store, and the Holly Grove Depot and Development Corporation was formed. Stock in the corporation was sold for $10 per share.
The money raised from stock shares and donations was used for the renovation of the depot into a restaurant. First a thorough house cleaning was conducted. Kitchen equipment and appliances were bought and installed, restroom facilities built, carpet laid, wallpaper hung, curtains made, and tables, chairs, light fixtures, tablecloths, dishes and cookware had to be selected. The building was painted its original colors (mustard gold and brown). The grounds were leveled and a large porch was built.
In seeking a name for the restaurant, a contest was held and more than 100 entries were received. Stock in the corporation was given to a couple from Heber Springs for their suggestion, and on April 28, 1975, “The Bent Rail,” Holly Grove’s depot restaurant, opened for business. The name symbolizes, in part, the demise of the railroad in the community.
