It allowed them to avoid the widespread convict leasing programs in the South, where men were forced to build railroads and county roads for no pay while serving out long, bogus jail sentences. Such companies had their own African American crews that did the heaviest and most objectionable parts of the work.Īlthough the work was hard and dangerous, African Americans, especially the men, were glad to get steady steam rail and electric interurban railway work. Interurban bridges and trestles were built by separate companies that specialized in bridge and trestle construction. Grading and leveling was done by draft animals, mules and horses, which were in charge by African Americans. As railroad track was laid with the Windlass machine, the crew worked over the previously graded route. In the evening after a day’s work, card playing and checkers were allowed. Bunk cars were rail cars used as sleeping quarters for laborers and would follow behind the progression of the track laying work, because the laborers were not permitted to leave the work site and were not welcome in small towns along the way.īunk cars were set up for eating and sleeping. If a project was out of state or city, the company would normally pay transportation in a box car to the work site and the men were housed in bunk cars. These managers – sometimes African American and sometimes white – would negotiate with building contractors or rail project contractors for amounts of pay, hours and benefits. Throughout the South, African American men with railroad building and maintenance of way experience were recruited by independent labor recruiter/managers. African American work gangs tasked with helping to set poles and string wire were responsible in part for expanding rural electrification in North Texas // photos courtesy of Interurban Railway Museum archives The pool of rail building experience carried past the Reconstruction era into the 20 th century where negro work gangs (as they were called at the time) were organized under a local or out of state labor foreman to extend the new “electric transportation magic” of the era into North Texas. African American women, as slaves and after Emancipation, also worked on the railroads in a number of capacities. In some cases, slaves even rose to semi-skilled positions. And African Americans played a major role in building and sustaining the interurban railways in North Texas, including this new line through Plano.įrom the earliest times in steam rail history in the American South, slaves bought and owned by southern railroads labored to do the arduous and unskilled labor to build railroads below the Mason-Dixon Line. Gandy dancers was a slang term at the time for railroad workers. The Interurban Railway Museum and Car #360 // photo Jennifer Shertzer in downtown Plano was originally Plano’s interurban rail depot. The current Interurban Railway Museum at 901 E. This line was constructed in 1908 and ran through Plano. The Stone and Webster company of Boston was consulting engineer. Templeton to begin in 1905 promoting the concept of building a new electric interurban line from Sherman to connect with Dallas.ĭesign and construction of this new line was done by the Fred A. The apparent success of the Denison and Sherman interurban line led John F. The desire for recreation attracted heavy visitorship to the parks on weekends and helped spread word of the success of the new railroad line, generating weekend revenue.īuilding a rail system from scratch is a complex operation, especially when capital for the venture is a matter of selling stock, getting franchise permission from the Texas State Legislature and obtaining rights of way from local cities, towns and landowners.ĭuring the national period of interurban railroad building, at the beginning of the 20 th century, many projects raised financing but the systems were never built, causing eager investors to lose their money. The interurban line was an immediate success, due in no small part to the creation of Woodlake Park and Coursing Dog Racing Park between the two stops. The two towns were served by a total of 10 steam railroads. The first interurban railroad line in North Texas was built in 1901 to connect the railroad centers of Denison and Sherman. Interurban lines were early 20th century electric railways that primarily transferred passengers and mail from city to city before cars were widely owned. The Role of African Americans in Building North Texas Railways

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