Howard Railroad Depot, a sad picture

[frawin]

I found this picture in an old Courant Citizen from 1976. It really saddens me to see the old depot in such a state of deterioration. As a young boy I boxed and hauled Garison Manufactured  Pony Carts along with harness to the depot to be shipped several times a week. John Aldridge was the Depot agent and he was great to work with.

[Marcia Moore]

Removed.

[frawin]

Marcia, that card is from around 1954 to 1962, I have old advertising/sales pamphlets with pictures from Garison Pony Cart Manufacturing. The carts were manufactured in the back of Garison Farm Supply. I helped do some of the pipe cutting and bending and Glenn Cookson and Don "Congo" Masterson were the welders and did the rest of the pipe/framework.. The carts had interchangeable Tongue and/or Shafts. These carts were shipped all over the United States and some to Canada.

[Ole Granny]

One clue may be the phone number.  When did phone numbers change?

[frawin]

Alice, the company started making the carts in 1954 and stopped in 1962. These cards were made when the company started in 1954. I was there when they started making the carts and I was there when they stopped.

[frawin]

Marcia, here are the sales pamphlets that went with the card. We also had Pony Farm Wagons that we sold, we had a team of minature Mules that we put in parades hooked to the Wagon, I hated those mules and hated to drive them, you never knew what they were going to do. Herschel Stephens like to drive the Mules so we got him to drive them in most of the parades.

[Marcia Moore]

Removed.

[Roma Jean Turner]

Wish we had all of the old depots.  Would love it if Moline still had theres.  In Chanute, they made the depot into a library and I love to be able to go there and remember all the train trips.

[frawin]

I agree Roma Jean , in Baertlesville they made it into a Visitors/Chamber of Commerce center. They moved an old time Steam Locomotive in and set it in front of the Depot.

[frawin]

Those brochures are interesting, Frank.  Wonder how many carts they sold per month.

Marcia, I have no good number to give you. I know I spent a lot of time upholstering the seats and boxing the carts to ship. Some people drove to Howard and picked them up. Did you recognize the young boy in the pamphlet?