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Garden club restores Jay Gould's railroad car
by Tumbleweed Smith
Midland Reporter-Telegram
In the 1880s Jay Gould was president of the Texas & Pacific Railway. He had a problem with the city of Jefferson.
"Gould came to Jefferson wanting free land for his railroad," says Sarah Frederickson of Jefferson. "Jefferson told him no. So he put a curse on the town. He told the town leaders, 'Bats will roost in your belfries and grass will grow in the streets of this decadent port.' And eventually it would come true."
In 1872 the Army Corps of Engineers exploded a natural dam on the Red River that allowed deep water into Jefferson. The city enjoyed a thriving steamship trade and it was a major port. When the water level dropped, ships could no longer dock in Jefferson. The city, once bigger than Dallas, sank into decline. Over the years, though, Jefferson has become a tourist destination. One of the attractions is Jay Gould's private railroad car.
"It's called the Atalanta, named for the Greek goddess of speed," Sarah says. "That was also the name of his private yacht on the Hudson River, which he used to take from his estate, called Lyndhurst, to Wall Street. This railroad car is 88 feet long and 11 feet wide. He originally wanted it 92 feet long but the railroad said no, the reason being it was too tall to make the bridges and too long to make the curves."
George Pullman built the car in 1888. At every stop, the presence of Gould's car attracted a crowd of curious onlookers. Prominent citizens vied for the honor of welcoming him. After Gould's death in 1892, the car was used by his son, George, and later operated by the federal government during World War I. It was finally placed in a railroad warehouse.
During the East Texas oil boom of the 1930s, housing was scarce. J. T. Davis, the Texas & Pacific yardmaster in Overton, bought the car and he and his family lived in it until 1953. Eventually the car ended up in a weed patch near Henderson.
In 1954, an enterprising group of women, members of the Jessie Allen Wise Garden Club, bought the car for $1,200, brought it to Jefferson and restored it to its original opulence.
"The brass light fixtures are original. The car was built for electricity and the light bulbs are prototypes. The dining room seats nine. The guest bedroom has a full size bed. The lavatory is silver covered with copper and the sink is able to fold up and the cabinet can be closed for a little more space. It was basically like a modern RV. They utilized every bit of space they had," Sarah says.
The car has stained-glass windows, lace curtains, plush carpeting, velvet-covered seats and walls made of mahogany and curly maple woods.
"The master suite's bathtub and sink are original and has fittings for a shower. Two servants worked out of the servants' quarters. Gould traveled with a French chef, a doctor and three milk cows in another car. Gould loved fresh milk," Sarah says.
"Gould came to Jefferson wanting free land for his railroad," says Sarah Frederickson of Jefferson. "Jefferson told him no. So he put a curse on the town. He told the town leaders, 'Bats will roost in your belfries and grass will grow in the streets of this decadent port.' And eventually it would come true."
In 1872 the Army Corps of Engineers exploded a natural dam on the Red River that allowed deep water into Jefferson. The city enjoyed a thriving steamship trade and it was a major port. When the water level dropped, ships could no longer dock in Jefferson. The city, once bigger than Dallas, sank into decline. Over the years, though, Jefferson has become a tourist destination. One of the attractions is Jay Gould's private railroad car.
"It's called the Atalanta, named for the Greek goddess of speed," Sarah says. "That was also the name of his private yacht on the Hudson River, which he used to take from his estate, called Lyndhurst, to Wall Street. This railroad car is 88 feet long and 11 feet wide. He originally wanted it 92 feet long but the railroad said no, the reason being it was too tall to make the bridges and too long to make the curves."
George Pullman built the car in 1888. At every stop, the presence of Gould's car attracted a crowd of curious onlookers. Prominent citizens vied for the honor of welcoming him. After Gould's death in 1892, the car was used by his son, George, and later operated by the federal government during World War I. It was finally placed in a railroad warehouse.
During the East Texas oil boom of the 1930s, housing was scarce. J. T. Davis, the Texas & Pacific yardmaster in Overton, bought the car and he and his family lived in it until 1953. Eventually the car ended up in a weed patch near Henderson.
In 1954, an enterprising group of women, members of the Jessie Allen Wise Garden Club, bought the car for $1,200, brought it to Jefferson and restored it to its original opulence.
"The brass light fixtures are original. The car was built for electricity and the light bulbs are prototypes. The dining room seats nine. The guest bedroom has a full size bed. The lavatory is silver covered with copper and the sink is able to fold up and the cabinet can be closed for a little more space. It was basically like a modern RV. They utilized every bit of space they had," Sarah says.
The car has stained-glass windows, lace curtains, plush carpeting, velvet-covered seats and walls made of mahogany and curly maple woods.
"The master suite's bathtub and sink are original and has fittings for a shower. Two servants worked out of the servants' quarters. Gould traveled with a French chef, a doctor and three milk cows in another car. Gould loved fresh milk," Sarah says.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
Glen Brewer wrote on Jul 30, 2008 1:08 PM:
" Jay Gould suffered from chronic dyspepsia and TB. The doctor and the milk cows weren't just an indulgence. He died at only 56 from the TB.
To read about Gould, see "The Life and Legend of Jay Gould" by Maury Klein. It is wonderful that the Atlanta has been preserved. I wish this story had included some photographs.
Glen Brewer
Denver "
To read about Gould, see "The Life and Legend of Jay Gould" by Maury Klein. It is wonderful that the Atlanta has been preserved. I wish this story had included some photographs.
Glen Brewer
Denver "
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Glen Brewer wrote on Jul 30, 2008 12:11 PM:
To read about Gould, see "The Life and Legend of Jay Gould" by Maury Klein. It is wonderful that the Atlanta has been preserved. I wish this story had included some photographs.
Glen Brewer
Denver "