The former Rock Island Railroad depot in Hazen is shown on May 4. The city, which now owns the historic depot, has not yet determined how it will be used. Photo by Michael Hibblen
I wrote this story for The Grand Prairie Herald newspaper in Hazen, which was published on July 28.
The latest round of restoration work on Hazen’s historic Rock Island Railroad depot should be finished in the coming weeks, leaving city leaders with a new challenge: deciding how the century-old landmark should be used.
Mayor David Hardke said the city has invested heavily in preserving the depot and wants to ensure it remains in good condition while also finding a purpose that allows the public to enjoy and appreciate it.
“I’m very protective of it right now because we’ve spent quite a bit of money last year and this year,” Hardke said. “But I want it to be a historical structure that people can see. It’ll take you back in time, of course.”
The depot, which was constructed in 1915, is today owned by the city. When it opened, the line through Hazen was part of an important route for the Rock Island that carried passenger trains between Memphis and Amarillo, Texas. The shipping of freight was also extremely important.
The current phase of work addressed drainage and foundation problems on the east side of the building, where a freight room once stood.
“It was slanted a little bit toward the building, which allowed water that stood there to seep into the understructure, and that caused a major problem,” Hardke said. “With grant funds, we were able to raise that level outside on the east side of the building and use concrete to divert water away from the building.”
The project also included refinishing the depot’s hardwood floors and repainting interior walls. Work remains to be completed in two bathrooms and a small utility room.
The interior of the former white waiting room at the Hazen Rock Island Depot. Built in 1915, the station was legally required to feature racially segregated passenger spaces under Arkansas’ Jim Crow laws. Photo: Michael Hibblen
Rock Island memorabilia is currently in the projecting telegrapher’s booth of the depot. Photo: Michael Hibblen
A future phase of work, which will be covered by another grant, will modernize the depot’s electrical wiring.
“It’s pretty scary,” Hardke said.
Additional exterior lighting will also be installed to improve security and safety.
History of the depot
The Rock Island depot was built in 1915 as Hazen was experiencing significant agricultural and economic growth. It replaced an earlier depot built in the 1870s by the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad, which was the first railroad to operate in Arkansas.
Following the decline of passenger rail service after World War II, the last regularly scheduled passenger train came through Hazen in November 1967. The Rock Island donated the depot to the city in the 1970s, but it sat vacant for years until the boarded-up structure looked like it was about to collapse.
According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, former Mayor Kathryn Orlicek led efforts to raise money for its restoration, which began in 1987. The freight room was too deteriorated to save, although its brick façade remains. That same year, the depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Volunteers worked to restore the depot in 1987 after it had fallen into disrepair. Photo: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
The interior of what was the white passenger waiting room of the Hazen depot as work to restore it was underway in 1987. Photo: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
Although the restoration work is nearly complete, Hardke said the city has not settled on a long-term use for the building.
In recent decades, the depot has served as a community meeting space and tourist information center. But Hardke said a key concern was that frequent public use also resulted in wear and tear. While he wants the building to remain accessible, he envisions a use that generates less foot traffic.
“I’ve been asked, can there be community meetings there like the Chamber of Commerce? I suppose so because we don’t have a place now for those types of meetings, although we do have the community center, which has a couple of rooms that would be available for meetings,” he said. “I’ll admit, I have not worked out a plan for the building.”
One possibility could be tying the depot to a broader recreational project. Hardke has discussed with state officials the idea of converting part of the former Rock Island Railroad right of way into a rails-to-trails system, similar to projects elsewhere that have become popular destinations for walking and bicycling.
After the railroad tracks were removed, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission acquired about 14 miles of the former right of way between Carlisle and DeValls Bluff, except for several miles acquired by the city of Hazen. In 1987, the land became the Railroad Prairie Natural Area to preserve remnants of the native Grand Prairie tallgrass ecosystem, which provides a habitat for several rare species.
Hardke said he has discussed the idea with the commission’s director, Dr. Jennifer Ballard.
“She thought it sounded interesting,” he said. “She presented it to those above her, and they thought, ‘You know, that does sound like a good idea.’ It had been thought about for years, but it just never got off the ground.”
Exactly how the depot would fit into such a project remains uncertain. For now, Hardke said his goal is to see the building open to visitors on a regular basis instead of remaining locked much of the time.
“It’s just a wonderful, wonderful old building that’s in pristine shape right now,” he said.
Actor and director Kevin Costner testified about the importance of preserving and funding national parks and public lands during a field hearing Friday of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Photo: Michael Hibblen
Just outside of Hot Springs National Park, a field hearing was held Friday by members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources who heard testimony and advocacy for passage of the Great American Outdoors Act 250. The bipartisan bill would reauthorize a law passed by Congress in 2020 that was designed to protect public lands and repair aging infrastructure.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, who chairs the committee, invited members from around the country to his district. He noted that 40 years before Yellowstone was designated as the United States’ first national park, Congress protected the thermal waters of Hot Springs in 1832. That created “America’s first federal reservation of a natural resource, making Hot Springs the birthplace of what a lot of people call ‘America’s best idea.’ Today, Hot Springs serves as a powerful example of what can happen when federal investment, local leadership and private partnerships come together.”
Westerman and Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, introduced the reauthorization bill Wednesday. The measure would expand on the 2020 legislation, which Westerman said represented the largest investment in public lands infrastructure in generations, providing long-overdue resources to address deteriorating trails, campgrounds, visitor facilities and historic structures.
In Arkansas, Westerman said more than $52 million has been invested in projects at Hot Springs National Park, the Buffalo National River and the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge.
“Those investments have improved visitor access, strengthened recreational opportunities and supported some of our state’s most treasured public lands,” Westerman said, adding that “record visitation continues to place new demands on aging infrastructure.”
The new legislation builds on the successes of the original law, he said, while addressing lessons learned through its implementation. Deferred maintenance over several decades is also a problem that Westerman said still has not been rectified.
“While inflation and rising construction costs may make needed repairs even more expensive, we have also learned important lessons about how these funds are allocated, how projects are selected, how agencies measure deferred maintenance and how we can better leverage partnerships to stretch taxpayer dollars even further,” Westerman said.
The legislation would invest $1.9 billion annually in national parks, public lands and Bureau of Indian Education facilities for the next five years. Funding would come from private donations, onshore energy revenue and new fees paid by foreign visitors.
Among those who testified during the hearing was actor and director Kevin Costner, who has long advocated for preserving national parks, largely through his documentary films. He spoke about growing up in a family that did not have the money to travel to major tourist destinations, but made annual drives to national parks.
“We could afford the gas to get us to the mighty sequoias, the high Sierras, to Yosemite. It was better than Paris, at least for a kid with my imagination. We could fish in a lake, sleep in a tent next to a stream, wake up to the smell of bacon and an open fire. It seemed wild,” Costner said.
“What always struck me, but I couldn’t articulate as a child, was that it never changed. It was undisturbed. It was comforting to know when I came back, it would look the same every time. It was perfect,” Costner said. “Nature doesn’t need a lot of help being perfect. But getting to this spot would not have been impossible without a road, a marked trail, even our campsite was the perfect distance from the next camper.”
That infrastructure is critical to ensuring visitors have good experiences in parks, Costner said, but the signs of deferred maintenance are becoming increasingly apparent.
He also spoke of the role of explorer, geologist and physician Ferdinand Hayden, who led the first government survey of the Yellowstone region in 1871 and advocated for preserving the area. The following year Yellowstone was established as the nation’s first national park.
“The odds of that happening in the area and the era lived, and the forces that stood against it, at a time when America’s natural resources were up for grabs, free to be exploited, with little or no regard for the future — it was zero. But he did it,” Costner said. “He had a vision and the courage to champion preservation over profit.”
Nature remains vulnerable, he said, which is why he supports the legislation.
“While visitations continue to grow, many of our parks are struggling with aging roads, deteriorating trails, outdated water systems, historic buildings in need of repair and staffing shortages that make it increasingly difficult to protect these resources and serve the public. We need the people who care for these places,” Costner said. “There’s really no better time for us to reaffirm our commitment to these places that tell America’s story. Conservation can’t afford to be a partisan issue.”
In addition to restoring infrastructure, backers of the legislation say it would support 72,500 jobs nationwide and generate $26.4 billion in economic activity for communities neighboring national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and public lands. It also would promote transparency and accountability by streamlining contracting and procurement, expediting project reviews and requiring regular reporting.
Others testifying at the hearing included U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Katherine Andrews, and Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Executive Council Member Mike Ward.
The hearing was held at the historic Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, which sits alongside Hot Springs National Park and provides direct access to the park’s trail system. The landmark hotel, which has hosted several presidents over the last century, has recently undergone extensive renovations.
After the hearing, Westerman acknowledged that despite having bipartisan support, the legislation is far from a done deal.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman speaks with reporters after Friday’s hearing in Hot Springs. Photo: Michael Hibblen
“It’s an act of Congress — there’s always a challenge — but I’m working with our colleagues in the Senate [to build support]. You saw the administration is supportive. It would be great in our 250th anniversary to somehow get this to President Trump to sign by July 4th. That would be a very tall task to happen, but it’s something we all care about and I think it could happen,” Westerman said.
Environmental and conservation groups are supporting the legislation. Audubon Delta Arkansas Policy Manager Glen Hooks said he attended Friday’s hearing to learn details and was “really satisfied and happy” with what he heard.
“Audubon is going to support and endorse this bill because it’s the kind of thing that brings people together. National parks — everybody loves them. You’ve got an Arkansas Republican congressman, you’ve got environmental groups, you’ve got Crash Davis here in favor of this bill,” Hooks said, referencing the baseball player Costner played in the 1988 film Bull Durham.
Hooks said he visited three national parks last month and thanked Westerman for his leadership in bringing this bill forward. He said parks are quickly impacted by staffing or budget cuts.
“You can’t just leave the gates open and let people come in because when you do that, as we saw in the early days of government shutdowns, unfortunately some Americans will come in and vandalize,” Hooks said. “This bill will keep these national treasures intact for years to come, and I think, one of the best things the federal government has ever done is create the National Parks System.”
A few times a year, Flap Jones, host of Little Rock Public Radio’s Not Necessarily Nashville, will take a week off and I get the joy of filling in, playing some of my favorite music. That’s what I did last night. There were also several important things to talk about.
AUDIO: Not Necessarily Nashville, June 13, 2026, 7 p.m. on Little Rock Public Radio’s KUAR-FM 89.1.
Recording the June 13, 2026 episode of Not Necessarily Nashville at my home in North Little Rock.
Willie Nelson released a new album on May 29 called “Dream Chaser,” so I played the title track. I also opened the show by playing a song from Willie’s 1996 album “Spirit,” which was released a few days before he stopped by Glenwood, Arkansas radio station KWXI/KWXE. I wrote about the 30th anniversary of that event for a story in The Glenwood Herald, and talked about that on the show.
I also played some Lucinda Williams two weeks ahead of her performance at the Arkansas Folklife Festival in North Little Rock on Saturday, June 27 at 8:30 p.m. on The People’s Stage. Blues legend Bobby Rush is the headliner the previous night. You can find a full schedule for the three-day festival at this link.
James McMurtry returns to Little Rock at the end of the month for two nights at the White Water Tavern on June 30 and July 1. Tickets for both shows are sold out, but the White Water often makes a few tickets available in the hours before shows, so anyone looking for tickets might want to contact the venue.
Not Necessarily Nashville playlist, June 13, 2026
Willie Nelson — “Too Sick to Pray” (Spirit)
Lucinda Williams (featuring Mavis Staples) — “So Much Trouble in the World” (World’s Gone Wrong)
New Grass Revival — “Do What You Gotta Do” (Friday Night in America)
Sam Bush — “Eight More Miles to Louisville” (King of My World)
James McMurtry — “South Texas Lawman” (The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy)
Rodney Crowell — “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” (Acoustic Classics)
Joe Ely — “Cornbread Moon” — (Honky Tonk Masquerade)
Gary Stewart — “She’s Got a Drinking Problem” (The Essential Gary Stewart)
Merle Haggard — “I Won’t Give Up My Train” (My Love Affair With Trains)
Al Green — “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (single)
Willie Nelson – “Dream Chaser” (Dream Chaser)
Commander Cody — “Looking at the World Through a Windshield” (We’ve Got a Live One Here!)
The first time I filled in hosting Not Necessarily Nashville for Flap was in 1990. At that time, she and I were both doing programs on Little Rock community radio station KABF-FM 89.1. She moved her show over to KUAR-FM 89.1 in 2009, shortly after I moved back to Arkansas to take a news job at the station. I’ve been her fill-in ever since. Occasionally we’ve hosted the show together or joined one another on the air during KUAR pledge drives.
This is the online home of Michael Hibblen, managing editor of Newsroom Ventures, which publishes six Arkansas newspapers. I've worked as a reporter, editor and manager for newspapers, radio and TV stations for more than three decades, with this website telling the story of my career. Also featured are outside interests I've researched. The views expressed here are my own and might not reflect those of my employers.
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad, which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE ABOUT MY BOOK.
Preserving Rock Island Depot at Perry
Since 2017, I've been part of a group working to preserve the former Rock Island Depot at Perry, Arkansas. To keep it from being demolished, we raised money to move the depot to an adjacent lot, still alongside the tracks, which is now owned by the city. The building has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and our group has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. LEARN MORE.
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.
