Tag: tennessee

Arlington Depot Square, Arlington, Tennessee

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many states in the United States of America has a town called Arlington.  You have most famous Arlington in the U.S. state of Virginia which is a suburb of Washington D.C. and it home to Arlington National Cemetery, one of the most famous cemeteries in the world as it is the burial ground of many men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  It is also where former United States President Howard Taft is buried, and it is also where former United States President John Ferdinand Kennedy and his family is buried.  His gravesite overlooks the National Mall with a view of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the United States Capitol.  The most moving part of Arlington National Cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns.  The tomb is guarded by soldiers day and night in all types of weather.  Then you have Arlington in the U.S. state of Texas, a suburb of the city of Dallas.  It is here where the Dallas Cowboys, an American football team that plays in the National Football League.

Then you have the town of Arlington in the U.S. state of Tennessee.

Some of you are saying, “Wow.  You are Arlington, Virginia, and you have Arlington, Texas, but I have never heard of Arlington, Tennessee.”

Well, most people, including those who live in Tennessee, have never heard of the town.  It is about thirty miles (fifty kilometers) east of Memphis, the city famous for the king of rock-n-roll, Elvis Presley, and, sadly, the city where Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated.

What is special about Arlington, Tennessee?

Some of you are saying, “I bet it is a famous railroad town.”

Well, it is not a famous railroad town.  The town was established before the railroad arrived, and it was originally called Haysville.

Some of you are saying, “Oh, the town got its name from being a place where you can get hay.”

Well, that is not true.  It is named after Samuel Jackson Hays.  He was the original landowner of the region, but he also has another claim.  What is that claim?  He was a descendant of United States President Andrew Jackson.  In the town’s beginning, it was not very prosperous.  It was not until the Memphis and Ohio Railroad came to town and a train depot was built that the town began to grow.  The town was renamed Arlington in 1883 naming it after Arlington, Virginia.  The suggestion was made by Captain Henry Pitman who visited Arlington National Cemetery and thought that the cemetery was the most beautiful place on planet earth.  The townspeople boarded the train at the station to visit Memphis and enjoy life in the big city.  Sadly, the original train depot, which became the centerpiece of the town, was demolished in 1971, but many of the original structures of the town remain.

Today, when you visit the town of Arlington, Tennessee, you can visit Arlington Depot Square.  A replica depot has been built on the site of the original depot and is now a senior center.  You can visit some of the original structures to include the post office, a general store, a blacksmith shop, and a small cabin.  Depot Square is also used for concerts in the warm months.  Most important of all, you can see a passing train as the railroad line is still active.

Arlington Depot Square is located on Chester Street.  It is just off of U.S. Route 79 and a short drive from Interstate 40.  Parking is on site.  You can get more information about Arlington Depot Square and read more into the history of the town at https://www.townofarlington.org/.

What does Arlington, Tennessee have that Arlington, Virginia and Arlington, Texas does not have?  Arlington, Virginia has Arlington National Cemetery.  Arlington, Texas has AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.  As for Arlington, Tennessee, they have Arlington Depot Square, a place where you can see a replica train depot, watch a concert, and, most important, watch the trains go by.

Casey Jones Village and Museum, Jackson, Tennessee

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many railroad historians are very familiar with the name Casey Jones.  Who was Casey Jones?  John Luther ‘Casey’ Jones was a famous railroad engineer who had a tragic ending to his life.  He had just taken over a train headed for New Orleans, Louisiana that had arrived at the station  in Canton, Mississippi over an hour late, he tried to get the train back on its schedule.  He was known to be on time.  As he was trying to get the train back on schedule, he was unaware that there was a stopped freight train ahead.  He did get word of the stopped train and tried to slow the train down… but it was not enough.  He was the only man in the locomotive as he had told his fireman, the man who shoveled coal from the coal car to the boiler, to jump off of the train.  Casey saw the caboose of the freight train as his train slammed hard into the caboose… and he was killed instantly.  He was the only one on the train who lost his life, but his actions in the locomotive saved the lives of the passengers and the rest of the crew.  He spent much of his life in the city of Jackson in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and it is here where you will find the Casey Jones Village and Museum.

What is the Casey Jones Village and Museum?  Well, you will see a small shopping village, but before you see the village, you will see the museum.  It is here where you can see a short film about the life of Casey Jones.  The museum has artifacts from different railroads and from Casey himself.  There is a small model of the train crash site.  The carriage that carried his casket during his funeral.  The museum has model trains and a train store.

Now that you have walked through the museum, you can go outside and see a replica of Illinois Central Railroad Number 382.  Casey was on the original locomotive that was involved in the crash.

There is also an old baggage car and a caboose.

Another part of the visit to the museum is a tour of the home of Casey Jones.  It is his original home at it original site.  You can see the different rooms with the original furniture.

Once you are finished with the museum, you can visit the Country Store.  It is not only a store, but it also has a restaurant.  The rest of the village feature shops, and there is also a farm and a church.

You do not have to be a railroad fan to appreciate the life of Casey Jones.  Many songs were written about him.  When you see more into his life, you will see him as an American railroad hero.

The Casey Jones Village and Museum is located at 56 Casey Jones Lane in Jackson, Tennessee.  It is just off of Interstate 40 and U.S. Routes 45 and 412.  Parking is on site.  The museum and village hours vary throughout the years.  The museum and house is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information at https://www.caseyjones.com/.

Casey Jones is a hero.  He was a railroad hero who saved the lives of others.  When you visit the Casey Jones Museum, he may become your hero too.