The Marshall and East Texas Railway (1908-1918)
The Marshall and East Texas Railway Company was chartered on August 12, 1908, taking possession of all right-of-ways, equipment, and trackage owned by its predecessor. They began their operation by changing the names and numbers on all their equipment. Under new management, the M.&E.T. began improving their track, bridges, and equipment. They extended the line eighteen miles southeast of Marshall to Elysian Fields.
When this section of the road was constructed, the roadbed was made to specifications for a first class railroad. In doing so, they borrowed a great amount of trouble. They made the grades to a maximum of one half of one percent and the curves to two degrees. In some places the cuts were so deep they opened up living springs that kept the roadbed so wet, the track would bog and have to have attention every time a train passed over it.
By 1910-1912, the M.&E.T. was doing good business and some new rolling stock was purchased. This included two passenger engines (4-6-0) and three freight engines (2-8-0).
My father writes in memoirs, “Elysian Fields was the terminal for the M.&E.T. passenger train. I was hostler at the terminal and after the train had made the trip to Winnsboro and back, it pulled into the station about six-fifteen p.m. After unloading, the crew would turn it around on the “Y” and pull it back up to the station where they turned it over to me for the night.”
“Engine #56 was my pet project. It was my duty to back it down the track a few hundred yards, clean it up, check the brassess, fill the pressure cups and about one o’clock a.m., I would get up steam and pull it up to the depot about seven o’clock where the regular crew would take it over all ready to make the 184 mile round trip to Winnsboro and back. Number 56 was the regular passenger engine and number 57 was used as an extra.
The passenger train crew included: Engineer Barney “Dad” Clark, Fireman Charlie Hazelwood, Conductor Cliff Riden, and Porter Joe Jenkins. Joe Miller was newsbutch, a little man who not only kept the passengers pleased with his ware, but kept them smiling with his wit and good humor.”
In operating 92 miles of track from Elysian Fields to Winnsboro, the railroad found sufficient tonnage to make a profit. Several large peach orchards at Ogburn, Texas created business for the M.&E.T. Railway. Sawmills loaded lumber at Rosewood and Rhonesboro. The first cars of automobiles ever to arrive was shipped in over M.&E.T. tracks.
The Waterman Lumber Company at Blocker created a big business for the railroad. A car full of merchandise was spotted to their company every day except Sunday. Several carloads of feed for the work stock were delivered everyday.
Elysian Fields shipped five or six cars of rough lumber daily and a large amount of cotton and cotton seed. Some of this was delivered to the Texas and Pacific at West Marshall. A large amount of mill products from the Marshall, Mill and Elevator Co. was delivered by the T.&P. to the M.&E.T. exchange at West Marshall.
The Point Bolivar and Iron Ore Railway would have ten to twenty-five cars in and out daily at James, a little village that at one time had been called James Town. It was located at a point where the P.B.& I.O Railway crossed the M.&E.T. track.
The passenger trains served the towns with passenger, mail, express, and baggage service. The stations served the towns with Western Union and freight services.
In 1912, a typical passenger train schedule on the line would show the train leaving Marshall at eight a.m. It went to West Marshall, Elmira, Lockwood, Heynville, Pine Ridge, Harleton, Eagleton, Muntz, Ashland, James, Graceton, Alwin, Stamps, Gilmer, Underwood, Kelsey, Rosewood, Rhonesboro, Peach, Carters, Ogburn, Merrimac, Crones, Eser, and the train would arrive in Winnsboro at five after twelve p.m.
The schedule would show that the train left Elysian Fields at two p.m., went through Woodley, Blocker, Key, and arrived in Marshall at three thirty p.m. Train stations were maintained at Winnsboro, Rosewood, Kelsey, Gilmer, Graceton, James, Ashland, Harleton, Marshall, and Elysian Fields.
From about 1910 to 1915, the M.& E.T. was at its best. The railroad continued to serve the towns along the lines with good service even though there were jokes and “old wives tales” about the service. They had their part of bad luck, but no more than other railroads of that period. It was known as the “Misery and Eternal Torment”. The line earned that name because some thought it was unreliable, jumped the track, and was not always on time.
The railroad was operating on a shoestring and had everything tied up as collateral to secure necessary funds for shops, equipment, and operation. It had reached a point where it could start making a profit. This chance was eliminated because of a wreck that cost the life of Cliff Riden, the conductor, and precipitated a lawsuit that put the road in limbo.
On October 18, 1915, near five-twenty p.m., passenger train #2 derailed a few miles east of Harleton. The train consisted of Engine #57, a combination mail, baggage, express and passenger coach #1, and passenger coach #2. The derailment occurred on a bridge with a sharp curve causing both coaches to fall bottom side up. The train crew was engineer Barney Clark, fireman Willie Law, conductor Cliff Riden, porter Joe Jenkins, and newsbutch Joe Miller.
Cliff Riden was injured and died three days later at a Marshall hospital. It was not known how many passengers were on the train at the time of the wreck and how many were injured. They had a special train out of Marshall with a number of doctors and nurses. Both doctors from Harleton, Dr. Bassett and Dr. Allen were also there to treat the injured.
This was a big financial blow for the M.&E.T. Railway. Court costs and settlements out of court were rumored to be over a quarter of a million dollars. On January 25, 1917, the Marshall and East Texas Railway was placed in receivership. Bryan Snyder, vice president and general manager, was placed in charge and appointed Receiver. Mr. B.D. Piland was roadmaster. The line continued to operate, but the road and equipment deteriorated. They tried to keep everything intact, but to no avail.
On July 17, 1917, the court ordered the segment north of Marshall to discontinue. The last train over the M.& E.T. tracks left Marshall September 12, 1917. It tied up loose ends, picking up all cars and delivering them to the nearest interchange. It switched at Gilmer on the 13th, and worked Gilmer to Winnsboro and returned again to Gilmer to tie up.
On September 15, 1917, the train left Gilmer at 8 a.m. and arrived at Marshall at 9:30 a.m. Engine #57, the engine that pulled the passenger train that had derailed near Harleton also pulled this last train. The crew was conductor C. E. Shipp, rear brakeman W. S. Shipp, engineer N. A. Harky, head brakeman R. B. Bennett, and fireman S. C. Hart.
After the abandonment of the railroad from Marshall to Winnsboro was authorized, the road folded up and was scrapped. This left many communities without any form of public transportation. It was a blow from which many communities along the way never recovered. People lost savings they had invested in railroad stock. Business closed. Population dropped. This road had a longer life than any of its predecessors, and was the end of an era of which there may never be a repetition.
