June Lecture: Thursday, June 20, 2013 12:00 noon– 1:00 p.m.
“Thundering Prosperity: The Role of the Railroad in North Texas Growth” -- presented by: Michael Sturdy
Without the railroad, North Texas as we know it today may not exist. Before the smoke had cleared at San Jacinto, the leaders of the Republic of Texas recognized the importance of the new steam locomotive technology to the young nation’s development.
The development of rail infrastructure in North Texas made possible the radical population growth that had not been seen during the rule of the Spanish and Mexican governments, connecting the region to the rest of the state and major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. The ability to quickly move supplies and people made the Metroplex and North Texas possible.
Michael Sturdy will present a brief history of the railroad in North Texas, from early attempts at creating a railway system in the Republic to the advent of the MKT to the introduction of the Santa Fe Railway in North Texas.
Michael Sturdy is Director of Education at the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, Texas. He holds a Master’s in History from Baylor University. He has worked for the Dallas Historical Society and as a graduate editor at the Baylor University Institute for Oral History.
All Courthouse Museum exhibits and lectures are free and open to the public. The courthouse has handicapped parking and accessibility through the north entrance. The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum is located in the historic Denton County Courthouse at 110 W. Hickory in Denton, TX.
