Crittenden's Old Depots

Soon after the train tracks were laid through Crittenden County and the train started being a daily occurrence, depots were built at different points along the tracks.  They were strategically placed along the line to benefit the different areas of the county.

The depots were a wonderful thing for these small communities.  Besides being used as a means of hauling fluorspar, timber, livestock and other large items, passenger cars were available and people could travel to Marion to purchase supplies, do business, and then return home later in the day on another train. They traveled also to Evansville for medical purposes.  The depots were also a community delivery spot for farmers to take their cream to be picked up taken to Evansville and then the empty metal contains would be delivered back to the depot that they were picked up from.

As you entered into Crittenden County from the North through Webster County, the first little depot would be that of Nunn Switch.   Cream cans would be delivered here and also there were livestock pens where stock was driven here and kept until they could be loaded on the trains to go to Evansville stockyards.

The next stop would be several miles on down the track as the community of Repton, here a small depot was also located.

This picture of the Marion Depot was made in the 1970's.

Marion Depot was the largest ot the depots.  It was located near the railroad crossing on East Depot Street.  This historic old building was torn down in 1985.  Another one of our old landmarks gone.  Lack of Interest and lack of money seem to be the downfalls for our old buldings.

This picture of the first Crayneville Depot and loading yards was made in the early 1900's.

The next Depot would be that of the community of Crayneville (later Crayne).   Timber was always stacked in the loading yard ready to be shipped somewhere, and piles of spar from the many nearby spar mines would be loaded here and taken north.

The last Depot of the train tracks was that of Mexico.  It was noted for it's loading yards always being full of spar to be loaded.

The Depot signs and any pictures of these county Depots must be lost in time.  Just another part of our Forgotten Passages of time.