| Forney Depot |
Forney's second Texas & Pacific Railroad depot,
E. Pacific Street at Cedar, built about 1901.
Closed in
the late 1950's, destroyed by fire in 1965.
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Like many towns in the U.S., Forney can thank the railroad system for its existence. In 1872 when Forney was still called Brooklyn, construction began on the new Texas & Pacific Railway train tracks and depot. Local businessmen, including John Alexander McKellar, sold land to the railroad and became very wealthy as a result.
When completed in 1873, the rail line connected Shreveport, Louisiana and Dallas. With a nearby depot in Mesquite, this line opened up a powerful new means of transportation into the booming city of Dallas. Soon, people and businesses moved into the area and Forney prospered. |
| By the 1920's, new electric train technology had emerged. The Interurban train system, consisting of single car commuter trains were similar to our street cars of today. In 1921 construction began on the Dallas-Terrell line, and in Forney the tracks were laid in the middle of Church Street. This must have been very convenient for the residents of Forney, especially those who didn't drive. Shopping trips in Dallas or a trip to the matinee became commonplace. The new trains also allowed students quicker access to the colleges in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. |
This car has been renovated and placed on display near downtown Forney.
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Unfortunately, the electric commuter trains had a short
life. The rise in availability of inexpensive automobiles,
better roads and more public buses caused a decline in
ticket sales, and in 1932 the Texas Interurban Railway
went bankrupt. What was originally the Texas & Pacific Railray is now the
Union Pacific Railroad and is still one of the busiest major,
east-west rail lines in the state. Amtrack passenger service
travels this route, but only waves as it breezes through
town. |
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