For nearly one hundred years the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad operated a line that essentially traveled straight through the heartland of Louisiana. It stretched from the Arkansas border to Eunice via towns like Ruston, Hodge, Alexandria and Lecompte. The railroad hauled everything from cotton to crawfish but by the early 1980s the railroad fell on hard times and eventually filed for bankruptcy. Shortly later the railroad ceased operations and dismantled the line.
Here we sit almost exactly forty years after the Rock Island Railroad went away but for many of the small towns that the railroad served it's legacy lives on. In the town of Bernice in north central Louisiana the residents chose to preserve their depot and many rare items from the heyday of the Rock Island.
Today the former railroad depot serves as museum that is full of items of artifacts and literature about both the town of Bernice and the railroad that once served it. The highlight of any visit is the perfectly preserved Rock Island caboose that is stocked with all sorts of items from the day to day operations of The Rock.
If your a railfan or just someone who wants to find out more about the history of north central Louisiana the Depot Museum in Bernice is a must.
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