Idabel station, also known as Frisco Station, is a

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...

that was built in 1912 by the

St. Louis–San Francisco Railway The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway , commonly known as the "Frisco", was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central United States from 1876 to April 17, 1980. At the end of 1970, it operated of road on of track, not includi ...

Idabel, Oklahoma Idabel is a city in and county seat of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,010 at the 2010 census. It is located in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, a tourist area known as Choctaw Country. History Idabel was estab ...

. It replaced an earlier frame structure that had been constructed in 1902. It was listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1979. Today it is the headquarters of the Idabel Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.

Description

The building footprint is long by wide. The walls are red brick, and the entire building is covered with a clay tile roof. The roof has eyelid dormers on the north and south faces. A notable feature is that the eaves have an unusually wide overhang beyond the walls, because of the relatively high rainfall in this part of Oklahoma. It cost $10,000 to construct in 1912, and was built by the E. M. Vanderslip and Company of Oklahoma City.

NRHP listing

At the time the NRHP application was submitted, the station was still owned by the Frisco Railroad, which was using the building as a freight office with a one-man staff. However, the company was already planning to close the office, in which case it would demolish the structure to eliminate future maintenance costs. The Idabel Chamber of Commerce has moved into the building since then. The McCurtain County Historical Society argued the building was the center of commercial and social activity for Idabel for 40 years, being the host of four passenger trains daily and also of freight trains, while there were no other common carriers serving Idabel. "Idabel" itself is named for Ida and Belle Purnell, daughters of a railway official. with

References

External links

Idabel Chamber of Commerce
{{NRHP in McCurtain County, Oklahoma Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma Railway stations in the United States opened in 1912 Former St. Louis–San Francisco Railway stations 1912 establishments in Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in McCurtain County, Oklahoma Former railway stations in Oklahoma