Magnolia museum reopens after 4 years
After sitting stagnant the past four years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Magnolia Historic Depot complex is open for visitors again.
Members of the Magnolia Historical Society, which maintains the property, reopened the museum April 6. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays at 426 Melton Street in Magnolia.
When Beverly Tucker became the president of the historical society earlier this year, she knew she wanted to get the museum open again to pay tribute to her longtime friend and Magnolia historian Celeste Graves, who died at 103 last June.
“I became involved with Magnolia Historical Society in the late 1990s, and I am committed to seeing the organization, created by Celeste Graves all those years ago, become the thriving organization it once was,” she said. “The volunteers of the Magnolia Historical Society want this, not just to honor the memory of Celeste Graves, but also to educate future generations, lest we forget where we came from.”
About the building
The depot was constructed in 1902 by the International and Great Northern railroad and served as a major shipping point for cotton, sweet potatoes, produce, cattle and lumber from area farms and sawmills.
Graves’ father, William Julius Gayle, was the Magnolia depot agent from 1912 through 1941.
In a 2018 interview, Graves said when she was small, the trains scared her to death as they came barreling by.
“It particularly scared me when Dad stood near the tracks and handed the brakeman a train order — with the train never slowing down,” Graves said in the 2018 interview. “He had a large P-shaped apparatus with a handle about six feet in length that he fastened the train order to and the brakeman would hook his arm in it as the train sped by, keeping the order and throwing the ‘P’ back to Dad.”
The depot closed in 1963 and was auctioned off to a local farmer, who used it to store hay.
In 1993, at the urging of Graves and Magnolia city officials, it was recovered, restored and moved back into Magnolia, where it is now within yards of its original location. A train caboose was purchased in 1995 from Southern Pacific and it is adjacent to the depot.
Magnolia history
Graves’ father was also an amateur photographer. Between him and Will Dean, Graves had more than 600 pictures of old Magnolia. She compiled the book “Magnolia Memories” about the town’s history.
Many of the artifacts in the museum are from Graves’ collection.
Tucker, who works at the Purvis library in walking distance from the depot, said the structure of the depot today is nearly the same as it was in 1902 when it was constructed.
The entrance room is set up like a ticket office, with a mannequin representing “Jule” the depot agent at the ticket window. The other two rooms contain historical artifacts and memorabilia about Magnolia, train artifacts, and information about local veterans and famous residents.
There is a case for Gilbert Leroy “Buddy” Dial, a professional football player who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
Another exhibit features artifacts from the life of Dorie Damuth. The Magnolia resident won the Mrs. Texas Pageant in 1967. At the Mrs. USA Pageant, she was runner-up, which made her Mrs. USA Savings Bond. She died at 90 in January.
Tucker is also working on a tribute to Graves for the museum. The complex also contains the office of Dr. James M. Ware, the only physician in the Magnolia area in the early 1900s. It’s set up to look like his office would have then, complete with an attached barbershop.
Curious visitors
Tucker has learned over the past four years that if people see the doors of the depot open, they will stop by, even though the museum hasn’t been open to the public in four years.
At her job at the library, she said people often ask about the depot next door and whether it is open for tours. With the museum now reopened on Saturdays, she hopes to eventually open on Sundays as well.
Society members are also looking into some projects on the grounds, including getting electricity to the caboose and redoing the decking around the depot.
“We want to make the public aware of this community’s history and contributions to the growth of what is now Magnolia,” Tucker said. “So many new people have moved into Magnolia over the past several years and are unaware of the town’s rich history. Opening the depot complex on the weekends will draw interest and help the Magnolia Historical Society regain its prominence in this community.”