Going, Going, gone

Paragould's 1892 wooden depot, preserved on paper by Ostrander's Gallery, was replaced by the brick Union Station in 1906.  The new depot was quickly surrounded by hotels and other business establishments catering to travelers.

Like any train station it was the scene of many goodbyes, but none as spectacular as when Paragould answered the call and turned out in force to send "her brave soldier boys" off to fight World War I.  With the decline in train travel, the depot fell on hard times.  Despite efforts to save it by the Paragould-Greene County Bicentennial Celebration Commission and the Greene County Fine Arts Council, the depot was sold to "be torn down for materials," a Cotton Belt spokesman explained.  "The land is of value; the building is not," he added.  A parking lot is now located at the site, but part of the depot's tile floor remains, a simple reminder that the depot has said its last farewell.