Nostalgia & History > Depot Friday: Checotah, OK

As often happens while searching a file of scans from my Gibson Collection project of the last several years, I find something I can earmark for a future thread. This Merle Graves photo from the collection just sorta jumped out at me. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Ry did have an unusually ornate style standard for their wooden depots. But this one immediately made me think of a gingerbread house. Which is a bit weird, because I’ve never particularly liked gingerbread. Even as kid I liked gingersnap cookies just fine, but definitely not the former! Go figure…

One of the few MKT depots I’ve ever seen in person is the one still standing in Council Grove, KS. Into the mid-1980s it retained the same general light green color seen below. Just for kicks, I did a photo search in Google Images for “gingerbread house”. I didn’t expect to find one with green walls, which would make me further question its edibility. But here’s one with an ornate brown roof, and the red door seems a good match. Enjoy! (And if you don’t care for gingerbread either, just enjoy the photo… ;^)

1. MKT depot in Checotah, OK on September 25, 1967.
(Photo by the late Merle Graves, from the Art Gibson collection)

2. One of many gingerbread house images that can be found online at Google Images.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
Art Gibson (wag216)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/22 20:36 by santafe199.

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I cannot recall ever before seeing the name of the state included on a depot signboard.  Was this a common practice on MKT?

lnrr1066

Unusually well preserved MKT structure! Thanks for sharing.

lnrr1066 Wrote: > ...  Was this a common practice on MKT? ...

I believe it was. I've seen numerous photos of MKT depots, other than major terminals, that have the state name spelled out. I don't know what the origin of this practice was...

Lance/199

In summer of 1964, one could still flag 5 and 6, the former Katy Flyer, at this pretty station.  I stepped toward the tracks to flag no. 5 one afternoon that summer, only to be chased by a roaring southbound freight.  No. 5 showed up 38 minutes later.  I probably didn't delight the Conductor when I told him I wanted to buy a ticket to another flag stop further south.  

I looked on Google Maps trying to understand where the depot was situated.  It appears to maybe be where now is the railroad MOW vehicles, materials, containers, etc.  
From the photo, I find it odd the electrical drop to the order board signal while there is also the similar drop coming into the depot from the tall line pole nearby. 

lnrr1066 Wrote:
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> I cannot recall ever before seeing the name of the
> state included on a depot signboard.  Was this a
> common practice on MKT?
>
> lnrr1066

Prior to the merger,Seaboard Air Line depots had
the local name and the state in initials.IE Wildwood Fl.
The Atlantic Coast Line had only the local name.

Uncle Joe
11 miles East of Tampa.

Great Katy depot, thanks.

Doesn’t seem to be a distinct pattern of naming the state along with town on the sides of MKT depots.

Quite a few do, and many others do not.  It does seem most brick depots do not name the state.

Nice to see it in place where it should be.  I like your shot much better than mine.
It is still with us several block to the west of the tracks next to Hwy 69
Brian Stevens

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SCKP187 Wrote: > ...  It is still with us ... next to Hwy 69 ...

That's good to know, and thanks for posting! I had a hunch this might have been the case, but I didn't have the time to engage in a long Google Maps examination of the town. Being next to the highway I probably would have missed it anyhow...

Lance