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Author and railroad historian Ken Stavinoha has again brought Texas railroad history to the forefront in his recent book: “Their Rails Crossed at Wallis: (A Study of the GC&SF and the SA&AP Railroads in Southeast Texas from 1879-1929). Thebookis justouton Amazon.com for purchase. If you like to ride the rails of train history in Texas, Ken has again made it possible.
Among the most active researchers and writers of Texas Railroad History, Ken has been a consultant for numerous articles, magazines, newsletters, and journals on railroads. He has lectured widely and has displayed numerous railroad artifacts from his collections across the state, including the Bullock Library in Austin, and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and in College Station, Texas.
Stavinoha has presented widely at railroad conferences providing valuable research and links to Texas railroad history. His new book originated from a presentation in 2022 to the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society about trains which rolled through Wallis, Texas within a twentyfour- hour period, in the early 1900s. A Logbook from Wallis Tower 51 was used to provide much of the data for the study.
In the book, one learns of the period in history around 1918 with a focus on the railroad facilities, the personnel, logbooks, and Wallis and area history in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. If a train whistle still excites you, then you must read the book.
Rememb ering that Texas’ first railroad came through Eagle Lake and Colorado County, it is easy to see how railroads were essential to our economic development, travel, and shipping. Wallis was a crossroads, and Ken describes its importance to railroad history. Many of our families stopped in Wallis and then came to the next stop, Chesterville, Texas, where they made their homes in Colorado and Wharton Counties.
Thanks to Ken for his research, collections, displays, lectures, and writings. He has been a preservation advocate and a collector of artifacts related to transportation and communication since the 1980s. He houses many collections and artifacts at the Eagle Lake Depot Museum. He is a founding member of the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, and the Eagle Lake Depot Museum. In 2018, Ken was the recipient of the Preservation Texas Honor Award.
He currently serves on the Colorado County Historical Commission, is President of the Eagle Lake Depot, Inc., and continues as an advisor to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum. Visit Ken’s Depot Museum in Eagle Lake and read this latest book, “Their Rails Crossed at Wallis.”
