Kansas City-Southern Depot, Mena Arkansas

Date added: April 12, 2025

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The Mena Depot is both the extant structure most closely associated with the Kansas City-Southern Railroad, the interstate rail line that virtually gave birth to the city of Mena, and is one of the most elaborate and intact passenger railroad depots that remain both on the Kansas City Southern railroad and in the entire state. Restored by the citizens of Mena, it stands as a remarkably elaborate rendition of the Mediterranean style that influenced the designs of the passenger depots of several railroad lines during this period, but seldom to this degree of architectural quality and detail.

Any understanding of the history of the city of Mena must begin with the character and ambitions of the man who founded the railroad line that gave Mena its life and purpose: Arthur E. Stilwell. Stilwell was born October 21^st, 1859, at Rochester, New York. As a boy of tender years, he was the sickly sort. Many hours were spent with the political and business friends of his estimable grandfather Hamblin Stilwell, a noted businessman and financier, whom Arthur adored. During one such session, his grandfather asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. Without any hesitation, he said, "I am going west and building a railroad."

In the years to follow, many people and events influenced young Arthur's life, not the least of which was the meeting of his wife Jennie A. Wood Stilwell, whom he married at the age of 19 on June 10^th, 1879, in Petersburg, Virginia. Probably the next most important person was Jan De Goeijen, of Amsterdam, Holland, whom he had a chance meeting with while aboard the S.S. Amsterdam, a steamliner, enjoying a much-deserved vacation. Mr De Goeijen, a successful Dutch coffee merchant, and Arthur, the successful insurance salesman, would form a friendship bond to be renewed years later and eventually chart a new course for Western Arkansas and much of the middle United States.

Stilwell envisioned a railroad that would be "straight as the crow flies" to connect Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico. Farmers, ranchers, lumber and coal men were being exploited by the rates charged to ship goods by way of the east, ignoring the ports to the south, in order to get them to waters for European markets. With "his" railroad, Stilwell could ship faster, cheaper and preserve the perishables that were often spoiled along the normal shipping channels. At the age of thirty, Stilwell organized the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railroad and in 1889 started the Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf (later named Kansas City Southern), stretching 789 miles to the sea, ending at his namesake, the city of Port Arthur, Texas.

The tracks had been laid to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, only 228 miles from Kansas City, when, in 1893, an economic depression hit. Most other railroads went into the hands of receivers, as did many well-established businesses, but not Stilwell. When he needed more money to operate, one of his "hunches" came to him, and in February 1894, he left for Amsterdam, Holland, to try and raise the capital from Dutch and German investors.

He had never been to that country before and knew only one person, the wealthy coffee merchant he had met aboard the 5,000-ton steamer in 1885. After two unsuccessful weeks of trying to sell his securities, he spent a couple of days in his hotel rooms thinking, and remembered the Dutchman. He did not remember his name, only that he was a coffee merchant. He left the next morning for the coffee exchange board, where he obtained a list of brokers from the doorman, and on the list he recognized De Goeijen. De Goeijen was summoned to meet the American and recognized him at once. He was overjoyed to see his old acquaintance, and they left together for a most rewarding luncheon.

Arthur Stilwell set upon one of his best-selling jobs and overwhelmed the Dutchman. He convinced him to sell his coffee holdings and go to work for him and his American friends as the agent for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Trust Company at a salary of $5,000 a year, more than twice his present salary. De Goeijen accepted, and Arthur stayed in Holland to teach the Dutchman to sell the securities. The Regalement Van Het Arkansas Construction Company syndicate was formed and became the vehicle for their operations in Holland.

Stilwell returned to Philadelphia and went to the offices of Drexel and Company, asking them to draw a $500,000 draft on the Bank of Amsterdam. They laughed. He could not seem to convince them that in the middle of an international depression, he had raised $3,000,000 to build a railroad through Western Arkansas and Northwestern Louisiana. Finally, they were convinced and Stilwell left for Kansas City.

The press had been alerted and rushed to hear what he had to say upon his arrival. "Kansas City may well rejoice over the success of my trip," he said. "I have secured the money necessary to complete the KCP&G railway to Shreveport, Louisiana."

Robert Gillham (for whom the town of Gillham is named) was named Chief Engineer of the KCP&G and the construction company. Gillham had introduced the Cable Car to Kansas City and was Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Street Railway. Gillham road on horseback south of Siloam Springs to the Arkansas River, surveying the route. The Arkansas bridge site was selected and men put to work. However, the rugged Ozark topography proved too difficult, and Gillham decided to shift the main line west into Indian Territory, reaching Fort Smith by a branch line. Crossing the virgin territory in the midst of the depression began to cause financial troubles for Stilwell and his investors.

A central division point was needed for the railway, and the town of Gentry in Benton county was chosen. Named for Richard Gentry, a chief engineer and large investor. The town was laid out and formed by the Arkansas Townsite Company, a Stilwell firm. George M. Craig became the agent for Gentry, and the town was advertised as a future division point on the KCP&G. The town did not boom, and it was decided to move across the state line into Indian Territory, where the first town was formed and named for Stilwell.

Stilwell, Indian Territory, located 30 miles south and west of Siloam Springs, first appeared on the map in 1895. The brick roundhouse was built and contained eight stalls, a 65-foot turntable, a coal chute with a trestle approach, a water tank, depot and fine track yard. Many railroad employees were stationed there. The KCP&G also formed the towns of Howe and Spiro.

Many still did not consider Stilwell a successful developer, until he crossed back into Arkansas. Known for his "egoistic" habit of naming towns for himself, friends, and investors, he founded and named the town of Mena for his Dutch friend's wife, Folmina Margaretha (Mena) Janssen De Goeijen (many think Mena was named for the queen of Holland, Queen Wilhelmina, but this is not true). The city part (Janssen Park) developed by the townsite company was named in honor of Mrs. De Goeijen's father, another large investor. Another park advertised as a free campsite for visitors was named Stilwell park.

Stilwell's success as a developer partly stemmed from his far-sightedness and salesmanship concerning these new towns. He always went or sent someone ahead of the tracks to write publicity, form parks, recreation sites and tourist attractions so that by the time "his" railroad reached a destination point he would have people to fill up the town. This had always worked for him, but now money was scarce and recreation was last on the list. Also, the newspapers had plenty to write about with the depression.

Losing no time Stilwell come up with a scheme and announced to the news media all over the middle and eastern part of the United States that he was reaching his KCP&G central division point (Mena) and would be there in 40 days, as he was only 40 miles away and intended to lay a mile of track a day. At first, the media laughed, but after the first few days, they began to pick up the story and play up his boast and each day reported that he met his goal. Crowds began to gather at the site to watch the progress. Newspaper men began arriving. The wagons and people doubled. Excursion trains were started to take the passengers to the end of the track, where they transferred to wagons to complete the journey into the new townsite. Before the KCP&G reached Mena, there were more than 1,000 people camped along the railroad at Denison (where the roundhouse would be, the current site of the old Maddox grocery store). Public interest intensified and 5,000 tickets were sold to Mena in one week for the excursion train.

When the puffs of black smoke had cleared from the tracks after the first train pulled into Mena on August 19^th, 1896, Mena had many new residents. The weather had been unbearably dry and hot; no rain had fallen for 30 or more days. The dust was ankle deep and the only refreshing spot was in the little city park were a cool spring offered fresh water to the weary travelers. Although the spring could produce a barrel of pure, fresh, clear water per minute, it still could not keep up with the demand.

Soon thereafter, the town site was laid out and many investors and KCP&G officials were honored by having streets named for them: Gillham, Martin, Hornbeck, and both Janssen and Stilwell parks. Zwolle Street was named for De Goeijen's birth city, Amsterdam for his home state. Other street names were Pollock, Vivian, Morrison, Herman, Mena, De Queen, Fleming, Clendenning, Armour, Campbell, St. John, Van Brunt, Swope, Meyer, Honert, Molema, Elsie, and De Ridder, which was named for the sister-in-law of Mena De Goeijen.

The old log cabin resting in the center of the four-city-block part was the land office for the Townsite Company. Hornbeck, a successful real estate man from Kansas City, was in charge of the land division in the new townsite, and he offered each person buying a lot in Mena a round trip ticket from Kansas City to Mena. This included three days and nights in a Pullman sleeper and three meals each day in the Pullman diner. Buyers were required to deposit 50% of the lot value if it was $200 or less and 33-1/3% of any over that amount. Stilwell inserted a provision in all these deeds that may have been helpful in making Mena a successful town. Each deed required 2-1/2% of the value go to a school building fund and be used for roads, schools, and parks. This fund amounted to more than $6,000 in 1897.

Stilwell moved on down the tracks with his railroad, leaving Mena to become a town on its own. He left towns and streets all the way to Port Arthur named for himself and his investors. Janssen was later renamed for another investor Vandervoort. De Queen was an American version of De Goeijen.

Arthur E, Stilwell died on September 26^th, 1928 of apoplexy. He was 68. Thirteen days later, on October 9^th, Jennie, his wife, unable to live without him committed suicide by stepping out the window of her Manhattan apartment. She left a note for her sister-in-law stating she hoped to join her husband in the life hereafter.

The present building replaced the original one in 1920. The first depot was a relatively elaborate, wood frame structure constructed in 1896-97; however, by the second decade of the twentieth century, it had become obsolete, inadequate and a hazard. The townspeople petitioned the KCS to force the building of a new depot even though the Division Point had been moved in 1910 to Heavener, Oklahoma.

The sequence of events that led to the construction of the new depot is well-documented. On September 1^st, 1917, Ben C. Eastin, Secretary of the Mena Commercial Club, wrote the State Railway Commission, asking for new station at Mena. On the December 20^th following, at a hearing before the State Railway commission at Mena, the plea was granted and the order for a station issued, with construction to begin January 1^st, 1920. Also, temporary repairs of the old station were authorized by verbal agreement. On August 29^th, 1919, General Manager C.E. Johnston submitted plans and wishes of the railroad to the executive committee of the Commercial Club. On November 17^th, 1919, the railway company applied for an extension of six months in the time set for the construction to begin; the executive committee of the Commercial Club granted an extension of 90 days. On April 1^st, 1920, a force of workers began demolishing the old building and clearing ground for the new station. Work was begun on the new building soon thereafter. George W. Goodlander of Kansas was the contractor responsible for the erection of the station. Plans were prepared by T.C. Horstman, of Kansas City, an architect for the railroad. The actual construction work was in the charge of H.T. Erwin, building superintendent for Mr. Goodlander, who was on site for the entire building of the depot. Only two jobs were sublet. Mr. R.W. Cunningham of Kansas City had the contract for placing the electrical fixtures and wiring and G.H. Gook, of Mena had the contract for the painting of the entire building. Finally, on November 8^th, 1920, the dedication exercises were held for the completed depot, followed by the immediate occupancy of the new station.

It was also necessary to move the main track about six feet south, taking out one of the passing tracks. This work was done under the direction of Roadmaster W.L. Spyers of Mena, who occupied the building on Seventh Street just south of the new station. The roadmaster's office (now demolished) was built of the same style and of the same materials as the station proper. It consisted of two rooms and was surrounded by a Bermuda lawn.

Railroad officials who had charge of the improvements made in Mena estimated the total cost of the track changes, the new station, and roadmaster's office at $50,000.

The first official workers in the new station were: A.W. Youkey, Western Union operator, Ticket Agent Ike Grant, Baggageman Adam Deck, Station Agent T.L. Slaten. The first telegraph message was sent to DeQueen, Arkansas and the first ticket was sold by Ike Grant to J.S. Adams, who was traveling to Eagleton.

On May 4^th, 1987 the property was sold by KCS to the City of Mena. However, the building was already undergoing renovation by the citizens of Mena and Polk County. It is significant to note that there were no state or federal funds used, and the entire project was financed solely by public donations. Local people donated money, labor, and materials.

Mena's Kansas City-Southern Depot survives as the extant building most closely associated with the railroad's seminal role in the establishment and growth of Mena as both a central stop on the railroad line and, later, as the county seat for Polk County. Furthermore, being the headquarters for the many railroad employees figured into the design and size of the facility. The Depot was the focal point of the town and served as a social and economic center as well. This depot and the route which it served was instrumental in allowing the area to grow agriculturally, educationally, and industrially.

Building Description

The Mena Depot, constructed in 1920 and located west of the intersection of Mena Street and Pickering Avenue in downtown Mena, is a single-story, brick masonry railroad depot designed in the Mediterranean style that was common for depot design during first quarter of the twentieth century. Its length is dominated by a red, clay tile roof and its plan features an open waiting area to the east, enclosed office and waiting area spaces in the center, and freight storage and loading spaces to the west.

The Mena Kansas City-Southern Depot is a substantial, brick, rectangular structure surmounted by a Spanish red tile roof and designed in the Mediterranean architectural style that was popular for passenger depots during the early twentieth century in America. The station building is located squarely in the former intersection of DeQueen and Sherwood Streets. The extreme length of the building is 175 feet and its width at the greatest point is just under 28 feet. The building is one story in height and is not only artistic in its lines, but is substantially built, being nearly fireproof. The roof is covered with red ceramic tile that covers the main portion of the building. At the extreme ends of the station where the brick coping prevents a view of the roof, a gravel-asphalt combination is used. Two relatively small brick chimneys rise through the roof: one rising through the center ridge to the east of the center of the building and the other just to the west of center. A wide cornice surrounds the building. The walls and continuous foundation are built of mat tapestry brick, dark red with copings and pier heads of Carthage cut stone. The bricks are laid in black mortar with scratch joints. Concrete floors were used throughout the entire building, except of those rooms where tiling was used for surfacing. These floors have been covered, during renovation, with local quarried slate stone in natural hues of gray and blending tones.

At the east end of the building is the covered outdoor waiting area or loggia, open on three sides and measuring 19 x 26 feet. The entrances are wide, and placed around all the available wall space are monolithic concrete settees. The loggia had a wooden ceiling, which has been replaced to match that of the main waiting room, and it is illuminated.

Adjoining the loggia to the west is the main waiting room. This has dimensions of 26 x 28 feet. The floor is of mosaic tile. Salt-glazed brick are used for the wainscoting and the woodwork is of yellow pine, oak stained. The upper walls throughout the room were originally plaster; they were covered with wallboard during the restoration and painted with a composition pumice paint to replicate the surface texture of the plaster beneath. The side walls are painted in a shade of tan and the original cream colored ceiling has been replaced by two-inch beaded yellow pine strips, stained in oak.

The waiting room has two double windows facing south, each window has nine panes at the bottom and six on the top. The windows on the north side of the building are identical. There are matching doors on the south and north sides. The ticket counter is located on the west side of the building in this main room. It is protected by iron grills.

The original four large electric chandeliers were repaired and replaced. The Mission-style oak settees have been removed and glass show cases, which house many local historic artifacts, now stand in this main room.

An office now occupies a separate room at the eastern end of the waiting area that originally contained the ladies lounge. There are two windows on the east end and three windows to the south. The one small window into the men's restroom to the north has been painted over. The windows are protected with ribbed maze glass ventilators and the coloring of the walls and ceiling are the same as the main room. The door into the ladies' rest room from the lounge was closed up so that both the men and women's facilities could be located in the area just back of this office. A hallway was installed to allow entrance into the new ladies' rest room.

The marble in the restroom area was removed due to deterioration and was replaced with masonite marble. However the plumbing fixtures were all still useable, and after new pipes were installed the original fixtures were set in place. New doors and door hardware were used.

West of the main room is a corridor leading to the baggage room, passing to the rear of the ticket office. The ticket office, which once housed the telegraph instruments, switchboard controller the lighting system, and the cooler box for running water and the levers for the signal system is now the home of the Chamber of Commerce. This room has been refurbished using materials to match those of the main waiting room. Some walls have been added to create a restroom and closet for this area.

The baggage room is 25 x 33 feet, and in one corner is the colored waiting room, which is 10 x 11 feet. The baggage room has a concrete floor and concrete loading dock, which permitted baggage to be more easily placed on the trucks for removal to and from trains.

At the extreme west end of the building is the express department. This consists of 22 x 40 feet, divided into three rooms. The main office is fitted with a wide receiving counter, which leads to the parcel room. The doors to the main room of the express department extend to the ceiling and are high enough to permit the hauling of big loaded trucks into the building. The express agency room is now a conference room, and a restroom has been added. The extreme west end is now home to a travel agency.