By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Zipping by FM 517 West means most people don’t notice the Dickinson Railroad Depot building sitting on the south side of the road. Occasionally a passerby does see the green building and stops in.
“We get visitors who are surprised and delighted when they walk in,” said Executive Director Joan Malmrose.
Visitors entering the Depot Museum find themselves standing on original wood floors looking around at all the historic artifacts and feeling like they have just been transported to small town America.
Greeting guests is Malmrose, who provides a personal tour educating each person who enters on the history of Dickinson. She shares the story of every artifact and display in the museum with each guest. Her enthusiasm for local history is contagious.
The tour wouldn’t be complete without Malmrose, who is a retired schoolteacher pointing you to the display of Dickinson’s first schoolteacher, Miss Mimmie Owens.
Steve Gerken from Katy was one of those drivers who noticed and stopped to investigate the green historic building. “This was very informative; I enjoyed the heck out of it. I was driving, looking for a gas station when I spotted the building. It was a great place to spend a little time and step back in history,” said Gerken.
The museum property is formed of three buildings one, which was the League City depot.
Back in 1966, Dickinson’s Garden club, Weed and Wish, learned the old depot building was to be demolished. Rather than sitting back and watching history be torn down, they raised funds to purchase the building. League City’s depot was in the same situation and the club raised more funds to purchase both buildings.
Both buildings were moved from their original locations, which was on the railroad line, to their current home. Nothing much has happened to the buildings other than an occasional event.
It wasn’t until after the turn of the century that the Dickinson Historic Society was formed. The society applied for a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.
With the grant money secured, the museum became a reality in 2007. “This came from a lot of hard work and dreams,” said Margaret Carney former president of the historic society.
The grounds are nicely adorned with a generous courtyard hosting a pleasing live oak along with blooming flowers and other garden delights for guests to photograph and enjoy.
In the two depots, you will find a ticket booth, a station master’s room, and a waiting area. Both buildings have two waiting rooms. In the Dickinson depot, one waiting room was heated with a pot belly stove while the other came with a formal brick fireplace.
Whites only, it is presumed, were allowed in the waiting room with a fireplace and all others were to wait in the other room. Guests can peer through one ticket window to the other waiting room and get a sense of our nation’s divided past.
The Historic Society of Dickinson has done a lot to preserve part of the past for all to enjoy, with Dickinson Mayor Sean Skipworth being very pleased with their work.
“Dickinson has a rich history, and we are fortunate to have citizens dedicated to celebrating that history. The Depot Museum showcases Dickinson’s roots and preserves our history for future generations.” Said Skipworth.
They are all volunteers and have each contributed something to the preservation. For instance: Ernie Deats has written several books about Dickinson including one that is formatted like a high school yearbook telling the history of the town in photos.
“There wasn’t anyone else who could have put together all of these photos, so I did it,” said Deats. His books are all for sale at the museum.
Matt Falco brought in many of his own family’ personal items so future generations could experience the past, such as his grandmother’s Singer sewing machine and hats.
To keep history alive with the younger generation the historic society is generating an on-line presence and hosting community events on the museum grounds.
