The Railroad and Burkburnett

The little MK&T Depot that sits near the railroad tracks in Burkburnett is within a few yards from where it sat originally when it first came into being in the early 1900's.  It served travelers to and from Burkburnett from its conception, through the oil boom and after.

The depot served those seeking work in the oil fields of early Burkburnett and it brought in oil field equipment from all over the United States to satisfy the needs of the nation's fastest growing oil field "boom town".  Before the oil boom the depot served the farmers well.  In 1916 the Burkburnett Depot shipped out 120 boxcars of corn.  It 1918, it happened to be located at the right place at the right time.  The oil boom had just begun and the railroad already in place brought in workers, fortune seekers, men and women, all looking to make a living in oil or oil related businesses.  In 1919 a second depot had to be constructed to handle all of the passengers and freight.  Everything from bourbon to bull-wheels to people by the carload came at a cost of 45 cents per ticket  into town on the railroad.

Truly the early development of any new town such as Burkburnett owes its early beginning to the railroad, the railroad was the lifeline of any early frontier town.

Our depot is now but a symbol or representation of what was during the infancy of Burkburnett.  It stands as a reminder of what it was, how it was and more importantly the determination of those who came before us to nurture and develop a brand new town and set it on the right path of growth.