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The significance of Tullahoma’s railroad depots has been mentioned several times in these Flashback articles. Located side-by-side along the tracks between the Grundy Street and Lincoln Street crossings, the freight depot was on the west side of the tracks and the passenger depot was on the east side.

Their locations eventually proved to be less than ideal for a couple of reasons. One was traffic, as the trains extended past the crossings when they were stopped at the depots, whether to load and unload freight or to board and disembark passengers. You can imagine the hassles caused for motorists and pedestrians trying to get across the tracks in the busiest part of Tullahoma’s business section. The second reason, at least for the freight depot, was economic. By moving the freight depot south a couple of blocks, it could serve the main line as well as the McMinnville branch line.

A few older Tullahoma citizens had related how the terminals were relocated, but now thanks to Mike O’Neal, we have photos to illustrate the moves. Additionally, he provided one showing the final fate of the freight depot.

The freight depot was the first one to be relocated. That occurred in 1921, and the depot was loaded onto a railroad flat car and moved south to a location adjacent to the tracks and near East Warren Street. Eventually, the freight depot was no longer needed, and it was razed in 1969.

The passenger depot was relocated to its present location two blocks north in the 1940s, and Dot Couch Watson recalls that move as she and her family lived across Atlantic Street from the depot’s new location. She related that the building was loaded on large rollers, long smooth poles, and pulled by mules a small distance at a time, and then the mules would stop and the rollers that the building had come from would be moved to the front and the mules would pull it a few feet further. Dot’s description was accurate as the accompanying photo here shows.

Do you have sharp pictures and interesting stories about people, buildings, businesses, churches or events from Tullahoma’s or Coffee County’s past? If so, reach out to me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.