Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Depot Museum officially dedicated

Dedication ceremonies were held for the Depot Museum Thursday, Aug. 14.

The event culminated the completion of roughly four years of work to renovate and remodel the museum's inside and outside  in time to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Danny Stewart, president of the museum board, welcomed everyone to the celebration.

He was followed by Jon Chadwell, who recognized those who played an important role in the renovation process. He said the project couldn't have been accomplished without the Arkansas Highway Commission, as it provided the bulk of the funds for the work through its TEA-21 grant program.

Chadwell pointed out local civic clubs pitched in to help, as did the Cooperative Extension Service and the museum's board. He praised the city's crews saying they went above and beyond the call of duty.

However, Chadwell pointed out there would be no museum or artifacts without the tireless efforts put forth by former curator John Teeter.

Stewart offered a special thanks to the city, which owns the building. He said the city furnishes the utilities and does the grounds keeping for the museum.

Teeter, Stewart said, is the No. 1 volunteer the community has ever had.

From there, Stewart announced the museum's first professional curator, Peggy Lloyd, saying she will be making the museum come to life for the visitors.

Lloyd gave a brief history of the depot. It began, she said, in 1912 and was owned by the Iron Mountain Railroad #6. From there, Missouri Pacific took possession of the rail lines and operated it until the 1960s.

The Prescott and Northwestern Railroad has basically used the line since its inception.

The depot was created because the Iron Mountain line was hauling peaches from commercial orchards in the region, along with other agriculture operations.

The building was threatened with demolition, Lloyd said, in 1961. However the Missouri-Pacific RR and City of Prescott entered into an agreement with the city leasing the depot. By 1970, she said, the city took title of the building for $1.

The Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce began operating out of the depot in 1976 and kept the museum open. Teeter volunteered his services as curator and began collecting more artifacts.

By 1979, the depot was added to the National Historic Register. It was among the first abandon depot to receive such an honor.

The National Park Service provided $10,000 in 1992 to help preserve the building and do some renovation work. In February 2000, the city obtained a grant for $200,000 for the current renovation work, Lloyd said.

Stewart said the grant was announced by Prissy Hickerson with the AHC. Each year, he added, the AHC awards communities grants based on transportation through the TEA-21 program.

Karen Ward worked on the grant application, getting the information together for the AHC. The city's grant was actually $165,000 from the highway commission, with the city matching the rest from its one-cent sales tax.

Stewart said there was also a lot of local participation in the project, working to make it a success.

"This will be a great asset to Southwest Arkansas," Hickerson said. "The AHC is proud to have a part in the project."

All plans had to be approved by the AHC, Chadwell said, and because it was on the national historic register. Because of the historic significance, the renovation had to be done to look like a particular period in time.

Chadwell said the circa selected was the 1940s. All work done was to restore the building to the way it looked in the 40s, with some modern conveniences added, such as air conditioning and central heating.

Renovating the inside with a 40s theme, he said, was more difficult than the exterior work.

Concessions were also made where the ADA Act was concerned, so the facilities will be handicapped accessible. However, these concessions were made with the 40s motif in mind as well. In one instance, a ramp was made of brick to look like a freight dock.

Fourth Congressional District Congressman Mike Ross spoke, saying he had a lot of memories of the depot.

"I'm excited, he said. "Good things are happening in Nevada County, but wouldn't be if not for people like Karen Ward, who wrote the grant application for the money."

Hickerson's being on the AHC, he said, is a big deal as she's from Southwest Arkansas and her helping get the grant shows the AHC's commitment to the region.

Along with the museum renovation, he said, Prescott has a new senior adult center and will soon have a new library opening. "This isn't just for what it provides the people, but helps economic development. Prospects need to see these things."

What industrial prospects don't see happening, he said, speaks volumes negatively about a community.

Ross urged local people to continue volunteering to help the museum and make donations.

Ward spoke, saying the seeds were planted several years ago. "It took a lot of people to make this happen."

She talked to Teeter to gather information about the play, Old Mike, being put on by the Artesian Arts League, with Teeter sharing his stories about Old Mike with her.

"This is one of the greatest projects I've been involved in," she said.

Stewart closed by telling the audience Prescott has one of the finest museums in the country.