The Cotton Belt Railroad Symposium:
Railroad Legacy and Lore
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Texas A&M University – Commerce
Commerce, Texas
Ed Cooper photo | Robert McFatridge engineer
An event to document and preserve the legacy of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway.
A special invitation is extended to all former and current employees of the Cotton Belt Railroad and their families to come and share recollections of their railroad days. Everyone is encouraged to bring and display historical photos depicting people, places, equipment, and rail operations to display. With permission, we would appreciate the opportunity to scan images for historic preservation. The event will recorded on videotape for historical documentation and preservation.
Anyone interested in the history of railroading in Commerce, Northeast Texas, or system wide on the Cotton Belt is welcome.
Program
| 8:30 AM | Registration |
| 9:00 AM | Opening Remarks – Gregory Mitchell, Dr. Jason Lee Davis or other EdL rep., Admin. rep., etc. |
| 9:10 AM | Cheryl Westhafer, Commerce Public Library |
| 9:35 AM | Dr. Otha Spencer - The community and the Cotton Belt in Commerce |
| 10:00 AM | Jonathan Gerland - Railroading in East Texas |
| 10:45 AM | Break |
| 11:00 AM | Panel Discussion |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch Break |
| 1:30 PM - until... | Oral Histories videotaped (scheduled with panelists and others) |
Historical Railroad Artifacts displayed by
| Arkansas Railroad Museum Pine Bluff, Arkansas (pending confirmation) |
Commerce Public Library Commerce, Texas |
Gee Library Special Collections TAMU-Commerce, Commerce, Texas |
Hosted by
The TAMU-Commerce Department of Educational Leadership, the James G. Gee Library Special Collections, and the Commerce Public Library
Dr. Jason Lee Davis
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, TAMU-Commerce
Jason_Davis@tamu-commerce.edu
Dr. Jim Conrad
Head of Special Collections, TAMU-Commerce
James_Conrad@tamu-commerce.edu
Dr. Harley Davis
Former Cotton Belt fireman
KC5PFR@aol.com
This program is made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Location
James G. Gee Library (bldg #16)
Texas A&M University – Commerce
Commerce, Texas 75429
Primary parking in front of Young Education North (bldg #17) and Student Services Building (bldg #20) in Lot L.
Commerce Union Depot, photo courtesy of Commerce Public Library, used with permission.
Commerce Roundhouse, circa 1912, photo courtesy of Commerce Public Library, used with permission.
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 Federal Depository Library Program participant |
Texas A&M University – Commerce Libraries PO Box 3011, Commerce, Texas 75429 – 3011 (903) 886-5720 |
 TexShare program participant |
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