1905-1960 The Traveler served the officials of the Cotton Belt Railroad from the time of its construction by American Car & Foundry Company in November 1905 until it was sold early in 1960.

Listed in Arkansas Register of Historic Places on 11/04/04

SUMMARY

The Traveler is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places with statewide significance underCriterion C for its engineering as an example of a railroad business car in Arkansas. The car served the officials of the Cotton Belt Railroad from the time of its construction by American Car & Foundry Company in November 1905 until it was sold early in 1960. As a result, it is therefore eligible for nomination under Criterion A for its association with the role of railroad transportation in Arkansas.

ELABORATION

Although the first railroad line in the United States was laid in the late 1820s, very little railroad construction was completed in Arkansas prior to the Civil War. The Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, which had laid some track westward from Hopefield and eastward from Little Rock, and the Mississippi, Ouachita, & Red River, which had laid a few miles of track inland from Chicot and Arkansas City, were the only railroads to complete any construction prior to 1860. [1]

The Civil War, however, delayed the building of railroads by a decade, and it was not until the 1870s that railroad building took off again. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern built a line south from St. Louis to the Arkansas border. They wanted to go to Texas, and purchased the Cairo & Fulton. Although the Cairo & Fulton had not done any construction, it had secured rights-of-way prior to the Civil War. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern reached Little Rock by 1872, and had completed the first line across Arkansas when it reached Texarkana in 1874. [2]

The second railroad line to reach across the state incorporated the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad and the newly constructed Little Rock & Fort Smith, which had reached the coal fields of Clarksville in 1874 and Fort Smith five years later. The Little Rock & Fort Smith was purchased by Jay Gould (who already owned the Iron Mountain lines) in 1882, and became part of the Iron Mountain system – the largest railroad system in the state in the late nineteenth century. [3]

When the realization came that only railroads could be used to exploit the vast tracts of virgin timber in Arkansas, railroads and the timber industry developed as one. As a result, railroad lines were constructed further and further into the forests to enable the harvesting of timber, and occasionally the spurs were linked to become new through lines. The boom in railroad construction also greatly influenced settlement patterns throughout Arkansas. Some towns that had thrived on river trade and travel disappeared and many new towns sprang to life along the railroad lines. [4]

One of the railroads that helped to exploit the timber lands of Arkansas was what would eventually come to be known as the St. Louis Southwestern Railway or Cotton Belt. The origins of the Cotton Belt go back to 1871 with the chartering of the Tyler Tap Railroad, a three-foot gauge railroad that opened in 1877 between Tyler, Texas, and the junction with the Texas & Pacific at Big Sandy. [5]The Cotton Belt was rechartered as the Texas & St. Louis Railway around 1880, and subsequently provided service through the timber, cotton, and rice areas of Arkansas between Texarkana, Clarendon, and Jonesboro. Trains began running on the line in 1884, but the line was forced into receivership the following year. It was reorganized as the St. Louis, Arkansas, & Texas in 1885, and became the St. Louis Southwestern in 1891. [6]Even though the official name of the railroad changed several times, the route had been known as the Cotton Belt since at least 1886. [7](The Cotton Belt would remain an autonomous railroad until it was absorbed by the Southern Pacific in the mid-1980s.[8])

The Traveler was built for the Cotton Belt by American Car & Foundry Company (ACF) in November 1905, and named after the “Arkansas Traveler. ”ACF had been formed on March 17, 1899, in New York City by consolidating thirteen independent railroad car builders across the country, and it has remained a prominent rail car builder throughout the twentieth century. Originally, the Traveler was sheathed in wood, as were most railroad cars prior to World War I, and it was one of the finest business cars in service at the time of its construction. [9]

A ledger in the possession of the current owner, written c. 1918, describes some of the interior appointments of the car at the time.

Observation Room – Main State Room – Dressing Room – Helper Section – Kitchen – Public Toilet

Observation room has 6 wicker chairs – one (1) high back sofa, 1 folding wall table,

2 electric fans

Main State room has – 1 full brass bed, 1 parcel rack, 1 8-day clock, 1 electric fan, 1

small dressing room, 1 dresser

Pullman Section room – has Standard Pullman seats with upper berth, 1 bedroom

chair, 1 dresser, 3 parcel racks, toilet room

Dressing Room – has 1 oval extension dining table, 8 dining chairs, 2 Pullman bed

seats, 2 Pullman upper berths, 1 large china closet over cabinet with drawer and typewriter desk, 1 electric fan

Helper Section – has single upper lower berth Pullman type, 1 white metal cooler, 1

hopper, 1 folding wash stand, 1 locker, 1 step box[10]

The Traveler was one of six business cars that the Cotton Belt had in its fleet, and it was the second oldest of the group. The Ranger, which had been built by the Pullman Company in October 1901 as the Dixie and renamed in 1910, was the oldest, and would remain in the fleet until it was sold in February 1958. In addition to theTraveler, the Cotton Belt also had the Dixie (built by American Car & Foundry in September 1910, sold May 1948), Arklamo (built by the Pullman Car Manufacturing Co. in December 1912, retired November 1952), Fairlane (built by the Pullman Car Manufacturing Co. in 1921, sold at an unknown date), and the Dixie (built by the Pullman Car Manufacturing Co. in 1910 and rebuilt as the business car Dixie in 1953).[11]

At the time that the Traveler was built for the Cotton Belt, it was assigned to the railroad’s president, and was also designated as Car #3. (In later years, it would be assigned to various vice-presidents and general superintendents. )However, this was common practice on the Cotton Belt. Each car was assigned to a specific individual on the line, and given a name and number. A 1912 newspaper article states, “The private cars used by the Cotton Belt officials are designated by numbers and names. Superintendent E. A. Peck travels in the 04, General Superintendent Wm. Neff the 06 and W. R. Beattie, the agricultural commissioner has 07. Chief Engineer C. P. Purdon’s is the ‘Ranger,’ President Britton’s car is the ‘Traveler’ and the private car used by George Gould, the former president who is now chairman of the executive board is the ‘Dixie. ’”[12]

In the early twentieth century, most American railroads made little investment in new equipment for their lines. Increased labor costs and debt left over from the 1907 financial panic meant that there was little extra money for new locomotives and cars. As a result, when World War I broke out it quickly became apparent that American railroads were not prepared to handle the sudden increase in traffic that the war mobilization effort required. The locomotives and cars in use on railroads across the country were not well maintained, obsolete, and not plentiful enough to meet the demand. [13]The solution to the problem was the United States Railroad Administration (USRA), which was founded on December 28, 1917, and began the task of overseeing the nationalization of the privately-owned American railroads on January 1, 1918. [14]

The creation of the USRA also affected the history of the Traveler. In August 1918 theTraveler was taken under the jurisdiction of the USRA, and changed to USRA Car #32 so that it could be used by a Mr. Pettibone in Texas. Later the same month, while the car was in service on the Texas & Pacific, it was changed to USRA Car #104. TheTraveler remained under the jurisdiction of the USRA until it was returned to the Cotton Belt in February 1920. [15]

Once the Traveler had returned to the Cotton Belt by the early 1920s, the railroad felt that it was time to rebuild the car and upgrade it to current standards. The Pullman Car Manufacturing Company did the work in 1922. The Pullman Company was probably the most famous railroad car manufacturer during much of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and began c. 1860 when George Pullman renovated two cars for the Chicago and Alton Railroad into sleeping cars. By 1872, Pullman was building three new cars a week and had 500 cars on various railroads around the country. The company continued to expand dramatically until it reached its peak in the 1920s, and would remain a dominant force until 1947 when it was sold to a consortium of 57 railroads for $40 million as a result of an anti-trust decree. [16]

The work done by the Pullman Company focused on the exterior of the Traveler. The Pullman Company installed both the steel exterior sheathing present today and cast steel body bolsters, both of which increased the car’s safety. [17]As far as is known, the interior of the car was left alone and still reflects the 1905 craftsmanship of the American Car & Foundry Company.

After the Traveler was rebuilt by the Pullman Company, it returned to its duties on the Cotton Belt where it was used by the railroad’s officials and hosted other guests, including industrialists, governors, and other political dignitaries. Probably its most famous guest was Will Rogers, who used the car in 1929 as his rolling hotel during a speaking tour of the Cotton Belt. [18]

The 1950s brought some other changes to the Traveler. In 1953, air-conditioning was installed at the Cotton Belt shops in Pine Bluff. The Traveler returned to Pine Bluff again in 1956 for a thorough reconditioning, but its days on the railroad were numbered. [19]

After a period of idleness, the railroad decided to dispose of the Traveler in 1960. The Cotton Belt solicited bids for the car through advertisements, and the Elrod Company was the successful bidder for the Traveler. Searcy Elrod, the company’s president at the time, was a former official of the Federal Land Bank and a pioneer of Arkansas’s reforestation program. The Elrod Company was founded in 1925, and began as a saw mill and timber supply service. Annually the company shipped approximately 600 to 800 carloads of untreated utility poles to processing plants in North Little Rock, Kansas City, Houston, and Carbondale, and it also operated a fence post plant and was one of the major suppliers of pulp wood to the paper industry. [20]

The Cotton Belt delivered the Traveler to its siding in Rison, and on April 16, 1960, it was moved by a private contractor to its current location southeast of town. [21]TheTraveler remained in the Elrod family until it was purchased by the current owner, Bob Abbott, president of Abbott Enterprises, on April 20, 2004.

Today, the Traveler is a living reminder of Arkansas’s rich railroad history, and the rich history of the Cotton Belt’s presence in southern and eastern Arkansas. As an excellent example of a railroad business car, the Traveler is also a monument to the golden age of railroad travel in the early twentieth century and to the craftsmanship of a bygone era.

[3] West, p. 55.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Drury, George H. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. Milwaukee, WI:Kalmbach Books, 1985, p. 289.

[6] “Pulling Into the Station:Arkansas Railroad Depots on the National Register of Historic Places – A Scenic Tour Map of Arkansas. ”Little Rock:Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 2000.

[7] Map of the Cotton Belt Route, St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. , St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. of Texas, Tyler Southwestern Railway Co. , and Connections. Map. Unknown Publisher, 1886.

[8] David Price. Telephone conversation with the author. 30 December 2002.

[9] Kenneth Hensley. “The Traveler. ”Cotton Belt Star, December 1997, p. 1. and information on American Car & Foundry found at www. ironhorse129. com/rollingstock/builders/amercar&foundry. htm.

[10] Ledger in the possession of Bob Abbott, the Traveler’s current owner.

[11] Article on Cotton Belt business cars from the Cotton Belt Star September-October 2002, p. 3.

[12] “Private Car for Supt. Richards,”Pine Bluff Commercial, 28 September 1912. In the files of Bob Abbott.

[13] Keller, Vagel C. , Jr. Book review of Uncle Sam’s Locomotives:The USRA and the Nation’s Railroads by Eugene L. Huddleston. Found at:http://www. hbs. edu/bhr/archives/bookreviews/77/2003summervkeller. pdf.

[14] USRA locomotive information found at:http://www. steamlocomotive. com/misc/usra. html.

[15] Ledger in the possession of Bob Abbott, the Traveler’s current owner.

[16] Information on Pullmans Palace Car Company found at www. ironhorse129. com/rollingstock/builders/pullman. htm.

[17] “A Traveler Settles Down. ”Cotton Belt News. May-June 1961, pp. 18-19.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

SIGNIFICANCE

The Traveler is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places withstatewide significance under Criterion C for its engineering as an excellent example of a railroad business car in Arkansas. The car served the officials of the Cotton Belt Railroad from the time of its construction by American Car & Foundry Company in November 1905 until it was sold early in 1960. As a result, it is therefore eligible for nomination under Criterion A for its association with the role of railroad transportation in Arkansas.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Article on Cotton Belt business cars from the Cotton Belt Star September-October 2002, p. 3.

Drury, George H. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. Milwaukee, WI:Kalmbach Books, 1985.

Hensley, Kenneth. “The Traveler. ”Cotton Belt Star, December 1997.

Information on American Car & Foundry found atwww.ironhorse129.com/rollingstock/builders/amercar&foundry. htm.

Information on Pullmans Palace Car Company found atwww.ironhorse129.com/rollingstock/builders/pullman. htm.

Keller, Vagel C. , Jr. Book review of Uncle Sam’s Locomotives:The USRA and the Nation’s Railroads by Eugene L. Huddleston. Found at:http://www.hbs. edu/bhr/archives/bookreviews/77/2003summervkeller. pdf.

Map of the Cotton Belt Route, St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. , St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. of Texas, Tyler Southwestern Railway Co. , and Connections. Map. Unknown Publisher, 1886.

Price, David. Telephone conversation with the author. 30 December 2002.

“Private Car for Supt. Richards,”Pine Bluff Commercial, 28 September 1912. In the files of Bob Abbott.

“Pulling Into the Station:Arkansas Railroad Depots on the National Register of Historic Places – A Scenic Tour Map of Arkansas. ”Little Rock:Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 2000.

“A Traveler Settles Down. ”Cotton Belt News. May-June 1961.

USRA locomotive information found at:http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/usra. html.

West, Elliott. The WPA Guide to 1930s Arkansas. Lawrence, KS:University Press of Kansas, 1987 reprint of 1941 publication.