Railroads historical gallery

June 3, 2011

Railroads have played a role in the history of Cape Girardeau. Here is a collection of photos from the history of rail travel in the area, taken from the Southeast Missourian archives.

Southeast Missourian archive

Missouri Pacific Railroad's engine 136 was probably the last steam-driven locomotive in Cape Girardeau. The picture was made in Mo-Pac's yard on April 14, 1953. (Missourian archives photo by G.D. "Frony" Fronabarger)

Published Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1949 This scene of twisted, broken equipment resulted from a wreck of a Frisco Railroad freight train near Seventy-Six at midnight Monday. Three trainmen lost their lives when the locomotive and seven cars went into a creek through a flood-weakened trestle. This photo shows the 140-foot gap caused by the trestle's collapse and five of the seven smashed box cars. This view, looking north, is between the trestle and the Mississippi River. (Missourian archives photo by G.D. "Frony" Fronabarger)

Floodwater crept up to the Frisco railroad tracks along the Mississippi River in this pre-floodwall photo. At right was the Frisco passenger depot, which was located along Main Street, just south of Independence. (Missourian archives photo by G.D. "Frony" Fronabarger)

Passengers boarded the last southbound Frisco passenger train at Cape Girardeau on Sept. 17, 1965. (Missourian archives)

Published Sept. 18, 1965 Over 60 years of passenger train service in and out of Cape Girardeau is departing with this Friday northbound Frisco train. It was the last of thousands of runs carrying untold thousands of travelers as the Frisco Railroad ended its passenger service between St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn. (Missourian archives)

Published Sept, 18, 1965 This is the train crew from the final Frisco passenger train through Cape Girardeau. Left to right were conductor John Montgomery, fireman Clifford Pobst and engineer James A. Barnes, Chaffee. (Missourian archives)

Louis Houck built underpasses for his railroad tracks through Cape Girardeau in the early 1900s. The concrete structures carried traffic on Good Hope and Morgan Oak streets. This photo is undated. (Missourian archives photo by G.D. "Frony" Fronabarger)

It was once a common sight in Cape Girardeau: A Missouri Pacific train traveling straight down Independence Street. The man riding at the front of the train is unknown in this Oct. 19, 1977, photo, made west of Sprigg Street. Some 3.3 miles of track, a portion of which ran down the middle of Independence, crossed the city. The tracks were removed in 1986, after the line was abandoned. (Missourian archives photo by Fred Lynch)

In June 1891 a railroad transfer boat named the Vice President began operating between Cape Girardeau and East Cape Girardeau, Ill. Louis Houck was responsible for bringing the line to the city. The boat, at times working day and night, ferried railroad cars across the Mississippi River, using specialy built inclines on both sides of the river. The Vice President burned at Cape Girardeau in February 1892, but was shortly replaced. Several boats were used, including the the John Bertram. Service continued until the early 1900s. (Courtesy of Katherine Cochran; Missourian archives)

Louis Houck completed the basic lines of the Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad by 1905. That line extended from the Thebes bridge to Cape and on to Jackson, Perryville and Perryville Juncition opposite Chester, Ill., on the Frisco line. Employees of Houck's road lined up in front of Engine No. 9 and the C.G.N. depot on Independence Street for this photo. (Missourian archives)

Neither the date nor the location is known for the derailment of this Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad train. (Missourian archives)

A July 1909 river flood inundated downtown Cape Girardeau. Here, a Chicago & Eastern passenger train traveled the flooded tracks near Independence Street. By July 15, with the river cresting at 35.0 feet, trains were moving slowly between Themis and Merriwether streets, and there were 3 1/2 feet of water over the tracks at that point. It took trains 10 minutes to traverse that two-block distance. (Missourian archives)

Before a new brick depot was built by the Frisco Railroad on South Main Street in 1921, passengers caught the train at this station on Water Street, near the Broadway intersection. (Courtesy of Tom Hopen; Missourian archives)

A steam train traveled through floodwaters at Cape Girardeau in 1927. (Courtesy of Eloise Schrader; Missourian archives)

Frisco Railroad constructed a brick depot on Main Street, south of Independence, in 1921 at a cost of $100,000. (Missourian archives)

Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad engine #11 belched black smoke as it sat in the C.G.N. yard on Independence Street. This photo is undated. (Missourian archives)

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Railroads have played a role in the history of Cape Girardeau. Here is a collection of photos from the history of rail travel in the area, taken from the Southeast Missourian archives.

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