On August 21, 2018, I spoke at the Department of Arkansas Heritage about my research on the Rock Island Railroad, and a project underway to move and save from demolition the railroad’s 100-year-old depot in Perry, Arkansas. Also present was Buford Suffridge, president of the Perry County Historical and Genealogical Society, which has been overseeing the preservation effort. I invited him to the podium to share his thoughts about the project which seemed like such a long shot a year ago when we first discussed the idea.
I also included a slide show, mostly of photos featured in my book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas, which was released in 2017. I also featured a few recent photos of the depot that we’re hoping to preserve. Thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage for inviting me to speak as part of its Pen to Podium lecture series.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
On Tuesday, August 21, I’ll be speaking about my book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas as part of the Arkansas State Archives’ Pen to Podium lecture series. In addition to the nearly 80 year history of the railroad in the state, I’ll discuss recent efforts to save the 100-year-old Rock Island depot in Perry. The program will also feature historic photos featured in the book and questions from the audience.
The lecture will be at the Department of Arkansas Heritage, 1100 North Street in Little Rock. The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the discussion. It’s free and open to the public. Afterward I’ll be signing copies of my book. You can learn more about the event on the Arkansas State Archives website or on Facebook. Hope to see you there!
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
The Rock Island depot at Perry, Arkansas on March 13, 2018. Photo: Michael Hibblen.
Almost a year to the day that I spoke at a meeting of the Perry County Historical & Genealogical Society and learned about the group’s effort to move and preserve the Rock Island depot at Perry, Arkansas, we got news from the current owner of the building that our proposal has been approved. It has taken many conversations and a lot of money to pay for liability coverage, but it finally looks like the 100-year-old depot will be saved!
We don’t have a date yet to move the depot to an adjacent lot being offered by the city, but I’ll be sure to post that here. Now we’re starting a renewed fundraising effort to cover the next steps in the process. We’re also starting to think about how best to restore the depot to its former glory. READ MORE.
PREVIOUS ENTRIES ON THE PERRY DEPOT:
Effort to Save Former Rock Island Depot in Perry, Arkansas from Demolition (Sept. 2, 2017) – Features extensive photos I took inside the depot and details the early proposal to move it. This was before the city offered a property and at that time the idea was being floated to move the depot across the tracks to an area also owned by the Little Rock & Western Railway. READ MORE
Challenges Persist in Moving the Former Rock Island Depot at Perry, Arkansas (March 27, 2018) – Includes the first estimate from a company on the cost of moving the depot, which was unrealistic. I also update details of a rejected request for the Little Rock & Western to donate a piece of land. READ MORE
UPDATES ON THE PERRY DEPOT:
The Rock Island’s Perry, Arkansas Depot is Moved in Advance of Restoration (Oct. 28, 2018) – During the last week of September 2018, a house moving company placed steel beams underneath the Perry depot and moved it to a temporary location until we had a new foundation ready to place the depot on. This includes photos of the moving process and inside the depot. READ MORE
Grant Money Will Ensure Former Rock Island Depot in Perry Gets Back on the Ground (April 28, 2019) – At a time when fundraising was stagnant, we got great news as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission awarded the project nearly $10,000 to create a community meeting place and museum inside the depot. READ MORE
Preparing to Place Rock Island Depot at Perry, Arkansas in New Location (Jan. 5, 2020) – Extensive work was done to build up a city-owned piece of land to place the Perry depot on. Record flooding threatened the depot in its temporary location and showed the ground where it would be placed needed to be higher than originally planed. READ MORE
Relocation Completed of Rock Island Depot in Arkansas, Now Fundraising Begins to Repair Roof (March 1, 2020) – In January, the house moving company returned to Perry and placed the depot in its new location. Then a block mason built a foundation underneath, with the depot now ready for renovations to begin. The next priority is repairing the roof. READ MORE
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
After years of debate and public hearings, a controversial project to widen Interstate 30 through the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock is getting closer to beginning. On the deadline for comments about an environmental assessment, 30 Crossing Project Director Ben Browning joined me on AETN’s “Arkansas Week” to take questions about the $632 million project. A 6.7 mile stretch of the interstate is to be remade, including replacing the Arkansas River Bridge.
I used quotes from Browning and added comments from an opponent of the project in my version of the story for KUAR, which you can read here. Submission of the proposal to the Federal Highway Administration for approval comes at the same time as construction is getting underway on a separate project to add an additional lane in each direction to I-630 in Little Rock.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
The Rock Island depot at Perry on July 7, 2018. Unfortunately in the days before this photo was taken, it appears someone stole the depot sign that featured the final “The Rock” logo that had adorned this side of the depot for 43 years. Photo by Micheal Hibblen.
After a year of talks, including what seemed like a never-ending stream of new concerns being raised by different entities, it appears an effort to move and preserve the 100-year-old Rock Island Railroad depot in Perry, Arkansas is on the verge of happening. There are still a few things that will need to be finalized, but it appears we have overcome the biggest hurdle, which has been having enough insurance coverage to allay the liability concerns of the depot’s current owner.
A big thank you goes to the many people who have made donations to our project. At this point we’ve raised $5,230 through our online Go Fund Me account. We have also received checks totaling $2,601 at last report from the treasurer of the Perry County Historical & Genealogical Society. As I explain if you click on the link below, we’ll still need to raise more money after the depot is moved, but this gives us enough to pay for the insurance and make the first installment to the house-moving company.
We plan to move the depot about 150 feet to an adjacent piece of land owned by the city of Perry, which will keep it along railroad tracks and make it more likely to be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The goal is to turn the building into a museum to tell the history of the community, and the Rock Island’s connection to it. READ MORE.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
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.
Preserving the 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 ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF THE DEPOT.
My Book
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.
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.
