I am on the right track

Last week I began classes for graduate school and one professor asked a profound question, albeit it was rhetorical, at least for the time being: do you want to be a writer? It was asked in a morbid, but realistic way. He also wanted us to ask ourselves, do we want to challenge the status quo of society and work real hard with a modicum of success? For a moment, an ounce of Doubting Thomas creeped into my mind as he sounded very discouraging. However, there were two things that made me realize I was born to write. The first, was a quote he read from the "Writer's Credo" by Edward Abbey, in which he read, "It is my belief that the writer, the free-lance author, should be and must be a critic of the society in which he lives. It is easy enough, and always profitable, to rail away at national enemies beyond the sea, at foreign powers beyond our borders who question the prevailing order.But the moral duty of the free writer is to begin his work at home; to be a critic of his own community, his own country, his own culture. If the writer is unwilling to fill this part, then the writer should abandon pretense and find another line of work: become a shoe repairman, a brain surgeon, a janitor, a cowboy, a nuclear physicist, a bus driver." POWERFUL stuff. Yet, it was a day trip to Denison, Texas this past Saturday that not only helped solidify Mr. Abbey's sage words, but etched in stone my conviction that I am a writer and will continue to pursue greatness. After leaving class, I trekked up I-35 North to Gainesville where I exited and got onto US 82. At which point, I caressed communities like Whitesboro before reaching Sherman and hopping onto US 75 North. I took it six miles to State Loop 503 where I made a right, and stayed until it became Business US 69. At the railroad tracks, I scooted a left and found the Red River Railroad Museum.

Before entering, across from the building I found the "Rolling Stock" display that featured seven new model F3 locomotives that emerged from the General Motors Electro-Motive plant at LaGrange, Illinois in 1947. After being mesmerized, I turned around and headed inside. Once I opened the door, I left 2012 and found myself at the turn of the 20th Century where automobiles were for the affluent and the railroad was king of the road. The plethora of KATY (Missouri, Kansas and Texas) signs, maps, photographs and conductor outfits made me feel like a child again.

At which point, I began speaking to the docent, Jean. She told me of a few interesting tidbits. The museum made its debut in 2009 and is the depository for the KATY Railroad Historical Society. It is located in a depot that has been around since 1914. Additionally, the gentleman in the large photograph located in the center of the main exhibit was her husband's grandfather who worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. I also learned that the opening of the railroad helped ignite a rivalry with the neighboring town of Sherman. According to the docent, Sherman did not want to pay the piper to acquire the right to build a railroad, yet were mad as hornets when Denison decided to fork the money and began putting down tracks. Conductor Charter found in a local residence.

While she was very excited to explain various features of the museum, her tone of voice told another story. While the town and museum have a lot of history (which I am still digging into), not a lot of people know about this place. She feels people do not come and it is a shame. It is one of the better railroad museums and people need to check it out. (I know its a plug, but it is a worthwhile venture). It also gave me a renewed purpose of being a highway writer. There are places and communities that need that middle man, the person with the pen to create words to help people and places, REGARDLESS of their political or geographical backgrounds, to get more attention and not become ghosts. After bidding farewell, I decided to visit the Eisenhower Birthplace Museum, which had a neat collection of photographs from the career of President Dwight D Eisenhower, and the actual home he lived in for a few years before his family decided to re-locate back into Kansas.

Unfortunately I was out of time, so I did not check out Watson's Drive In, which I will report on next time, but I did find a diamond in the rough, the historic Traveler's Hotel, which is located between both museums. The edifice was built in 1893 and operated by Ernest Cole who used it as a grocery store and saloon. From 1909 to 1911, three top floors were added, which are stil there. Nevertheless, it was not until the 1930s when the building became the Traveler's Hotel. Today, it is a private residence. As I drove back to Denton, I felt reinvigorated. I figured, although I may have to climb a steep mountain as a writer, the rewards of helping people, and society is a challenge just too good to pass up. Red River Railroad Museum 101 E. Main St., Suite 145 Denison, TX 75201-3001 Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum 609 S. Lamar Ave. Denison, TX 75021