Murray City, Ohio Train Depot

 and Coal Mining Museum

HVRY "End of the Line"

The Murray City Train Depot, established between 1890-1900, was for many years the only way in or out of coal mine camp town Murray City, once stated as having the "LARGEST COAL MINE IN THE WORLD". Goods and people were shipped to Murray City aboard the Hocking Valley Railroad. Coal was shipped in and out of the Murray City Sunday Creek Coal mines #25, #5 and the New Pittsburgh #7and before that the Greendale #29. The train line was so important because of a lack of any other transportation or roads. Murray City was called the end of the line depot because the railroad track ended here and the train had to turn around at the depot.  The Murray City Depot is one of only three original historic train depots left in the state of Ohio.

The following photo is of the Murray City Improvement Committee receiving the deed to the train depot from the Sunday Creek Coal Company January 23, 2002. This is from the article published in the Logan Daily by Brown Publishing company. (Photographer and writer Debra Tobin).

"Sunday Creek Coal Company representatives present members of the Murray City Improvement Committee with the deed to 1.9 acres of land (near the old ball field) which includes the railroad station depot.  Coal company and improvement committee representatives from left are: Michael Chrihfield (Sunday Creek); Richard Buchanan; Sandra Mitchell-Quinn; Marlene Robinson Mitchell; Jack Shuttleworth; Vernal Lambert; Larry Mitchell (committee Vice president and Treasurer); Junior Floyd Keeton  [deceased]; Rita Hanna; Dorothy Simon (committee President); Nancy Green (Rural Action); Joseph C. Roman (Sunday Creek Coal Company President) and Rex Maiden (Sunday Creek). The deed was presented to the committee because of their effort and commitment to restoration of the old train station which was completed before the presentation of the deed.  (Thank you Sunday Creek Coal Company)."

The Murray City Train Depot and Coal Mining Museum is now open by appointment!

To arrange a visit, call  Dorothy Simons at 762-2208 or  Larry Mitchell at 740-762-2521.

The The Murray City Improvement Committee has  restored the historical train depot and added a coal mining museum. The depot houses some depot artifacts and coal mining artifacts and looks as close as can be to the original historical facility. Thank you to all who donated financially and for the donations of coal mine tools and artifacts for display in the museum. In the future the committee is interested in rebuilding the cargo room to house more artifacts and are in the process of placing a caboose in front of the museum, if anyone wishes to assist in this project, please contact the MCIC. 

***NEWS UPDATE***

We searched high and we searched low and made many trips over several years to find our new caboose!

With the help of Chris Burchett pointing our VP Larry Mitchell and other members of the MCIC in the direction of Orreville, we located a caboose and made the purchase.   With the help of a lot of great people we got our caboose to Murray.  

Exploring our new caboose at an Orreville, Ohio train yard is Larry Mitchell, Richard Buchanan, Wade Gill; Austin Allen Jr., and photographer Sandra Mitchell-Quinn.

This caboose is now setting on track in front of the Murray City Depot.

Planning for the Future

  We were just donated a train engine which was currently housed in Florida.  With funds from alumni and friends the engine arrived by tractor trailer. A special thank you to everyone's contributions!  

Especially to Bill Sweazy who arranged the donation and travel, to Larry Mitchell, Dick Buchanan, and Eugene Duncan for laying the necessary train tracks.  To Sandy Mitchell Quinn for her donation of her photography of the train depot for the fund raiser.

 Near future projects are  to build a memorial to the coal miners, war veterans and Sunday Creek Coal Company official Phil Ong; and to build on the missing cargo house section of the depot to house even more local coal mining artifacts.

Update:  We have completed the memorial, and a Shelter House and have dedicated the Park to Phil Ong.  Thanks to everyone that contributed to our project!

If you would like to contribute a tax deductible donation to this 

non profit museum project

write to

The Murray City Improvement Committee

P.O. Box 169

Murray City, Ohio 43144

Thank you so much for your continued support!

This is an example of one of the many wonderful photo's in the "Remembering Murray City" picture books, email editor Marlene Mitchell

Click on coal miner below to see the photos of the past festival which was held on the  Train Depot  and Coal Mining Museum grounds! 

Click here for Area Coal Mine History and Mine  Photos

Click here to see a working MCIC meeting:

Click here for Murray City History and Photos

murraydepot

HTML by  Sandra Mitchell-Quinn c. 1996 - 2006

See also these Offline Train Websites:

William McFadden's Railroad Structures Website

Hocking Valley Railway Company

Nelsonville Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Website  

David Dupler's Railroad Website

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