Let me tell you about the volunteers behind the scenes at the B-RI Railroad Museum. There are 9 dedicated volunteers who love this community and this museum. Only one is under the age of 55. This team works together with one goal in mind and that’s to make this beautiful building and museum a shining star of Teague’s history for generations to come. There isn’t always agreement on how we roll, but we never sway from our ultimate goal. I am so proud and grateful for each team member and their willingness to give their time and energy to accomplish what, at times seems overwhelming. We are making progress, slowly, but when we are done, it will be amazing!
A huge thank you to Benny Walker, Mary Lee, Molly Fryer, Dillion McAdams, Dickie and Gail Moore, and Richard and Leigh Ann Steen. I couldn’t have asked for a better team!
Our Team would also like to thank the community for their wonderful support during this past year! Please know this would be an impossible job without your financial contributions. Whether it’s buying a raffle ticket, a Mini Mike Train Ride ticket, a Memorial donation, a Membership, providing services at no cost or a private donation, it makes a positive impact! Thank You so much!
We can’t leave off the support we’ve received from Freestone County Commissioners and Judge Grant, the City of Teague and Teague EDC. They have faithfully supported our efforts and we appreciate it very, very much!
On a special note, there are some pretty amazing kiddos in our town! We never charge our local schools for visits to the museum, as we believe it is important for them to know the history of their ancestors who help forge this community. But, when the Teague ISD 2nd graders visited the museum, they had worked hard and brought with them a very nice donation for the museum! That was a very special contribution from some very special friends of the museum! Thank you to these parents and teachers for their efforts to teach community service to their children and students. Also, a big Thank You to Mabry and Madelyn Steen for helping us with Christmas and our 2nd graders tour! These are some pretty cool kids!
As 2022 comes to a close, we have accomplished some pretty hefty goals. The roof leaks are fixed, old, failing plaster in the front portion of the building has been removed for a cleaner environment, new HVAC is installed on the second floor and a maintenance program has been established. The elevator has been repaired and is now operable.
We look forward to what we hope to accomplish in 2023. In January we will open a portion of the building for visitors while we continue to work other parts of the depot. Our goal is to have it reflect the early era of railroading and life in Teague. Also, a new building is in the works to house our 1928 Seagraves Fire engine, space for other large displays and a storage and workspace area.
From our Team at the B-RI Railroad Museum – Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy many blessing in the coming year!
Burlington-Rock Island Railroad Museum – Teague, Tx
This museum offers the visitor a trip back to Teague’s history when railroads were the best option for travel out of the area and for commerce. The original structure, built in 1906, served as a hub for various railroads until 1966. At that time, the building was given to the City of Teague and later converted to a Railroad Museum by volunteers. Located at 208 S 3rd Avenue, Teague, Texas 75860. For more information, call 254-359-4100.
