Dear History Buffs and present and past students of Milby High School, we need your help.

This article is on the history of a train called The Texas and how its bell ended up in YOUR local high school. This article on the Bell of Milby High School hangs in the balance. We need more information on when the bell was given or gifted to the school.

What are the dates of this event and who signed the documents? Can we gain exclusive access to see and photograph the bell in person? This is for our local Facebook page The Harrisburg History Hunters.

We appreciate your help and will credit you in our story. We appreciate your assistance.

Local History rings true for Milby High School keepers of “Texas” Locomotive Bell:

The History of a Train Called Texas

So many small, interesting details get lost in the big picture of our state’s history. Today, I am privileged to tell a story about a local train called Texas. Please note the train referred to at the Texas will be italicized to separate it from the state. The brief back story sets the environment in which the train functioned, how it was used, and the significant events it went through. Texas is overshadowed by its predecessor, The General, but we focus on Texas due to its local connection to a High School here in Houston.

This story starts before the train was even built. P. Briscoe may have been a writer and witness to the contract between his brother and others about the railroad’s rich history—the original contract dates to February 28, 1840, and as such states.

“The first railroad built in Texas was the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado, commonly called in its early days Harrisburg railroad.”

Andrew Briscoe oversaw obtaining lands, contracts, signatures, and funds. Due to Texas history at the time of a Mexican invasion being admitted at any moment, property sales were slow, and the project was somewhat abandoned. This is where Sidney Sherman comes into the picture. He helped tie up loose ends and would become known as General Sherman in the Civil War.

“in March 1847, a Harrisburg town company sold and transferred all the unsold town lots and land to Sidney Sherman…”

He is the namesake of the more famous train, which is how the General got its name. It was the first locomotive to have a pull throttle. These two trains would be involved in a historical event brought about by the Civil War, although more on the Great Locomotive Chase of the Civil War later.

I give this back story so readers can understand the much different fate of the second train. The author of this original document, A. Briscoe, details the design and function of the locomotive. He describes it as unlike any other train he’d seen for the time, which had minimal service on the road. Texas appears to have had difficulty going around slight curves and the tracks, though it could pull heavy freight. I was surprised when reading the source, which describes how his predecessor had done wonderfully.

I was sad to hear that Texas was considered worthy of the scrap heap and survived only because it was sold to a sawmill as helpful equipment. I knew my research would uncover more about the train and how it went from in-service to scrapheap. This first document does not tell the whole story.

The next question is, then, who created this beautiful train? It was “Danforth, Cooke & Co. of Paterson, N.J., in 1856.” Other locomotives such as Austin, Columbus, and Harrisburg would show the state's naming history. The railroad was sold in 1868 when it changed its name to the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio railroads.

Our story of Texas, though, does not end here. This photograph of Texas that I have included is the restored version. The following article from The Salisbury Post talks about the display of the train Texas after it has been refurbished. This article covers the train’s rich history:

“The engine became famous, along with the General, for its role in the Great Locomotive Chase of the Civil War. During Reconstruction, the engine was put to work for the Western & Atlantic Railroad. “The locomotive served for 51 years on the famous Western & Atlantic Railroad, contributing significantly to Atlanta’s rise as a railroad center and, ultimately, an international city,” said Sheffield Hale, president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center.” After viewing the iconic train, we will be returned to Atlanta.

I then discovered that this piece of history has entered through a modern-day filmmaker. None other than Walt Disney himself who worked on such a film. This information is from Hawkins rail.net. (If you want to get ALL the details, go here. This is an excellent photo reference as well.)

“The Great Locomotive Chase, also known as the Andrews' Raid, was a military exercise on April 12, 1862, in northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. ….The Federals were pursued by Confederate forces first on foot, then later on a succession of handcars and locomotives -- including, by the end, a sister W&A locomotive, Texas.”

I include the following paragraph because it directly mentions Texas. Please note that this was a severe event, even though the above paragraph does say military exercise. Railways were damaged, and people lost their lives. Another name for this train chase is the Andrews raid,which took place on April 12, 1862, in northwestern Georgia. The train I first mentioned, The General, also plays into this.

“Because the Union raiders cut telegraph wires as they went along, the Confederates in pursuit of The General could not send warnings ahead to Southern forces along the railway.”

The Confederates in charge of the time eventually captured the raters, metals were given, and the trains themselves would await modern-day restoration. Like with the detailed information on Hawkins Rail, I found another wonder and excellent source on the restoration. If the 'Texas' Could Talk. by Kevin Keefe, this Classic Trains article is also a good resource.

“Because only a small fraction of the original engine remains, the Atlanta History Center restored the Texas to its appearance in 1886, when it was one of the workaday 4-4-0s that propelled Atlanta to greatness.”

This train has a deeper connection to Houston, than most might realize. My friend, who runs a Facebook group, Harrisburg History Hunters (please check out our page links below,) was the one who told me about this fascinating topic.

Let’s let this story return to more local roots with how the bell of Texas came to Houston High School in the first place. That’s right; you do not have to go out of state to see the piece of this vital train. So, this begs the question then.

How did students at Milby High School come to own an iconic piece of this locomotive?

Milby High School opened in …..

How the students got the bell. Went from a local church to the school.

Where is it now? Bell is in school library.

Can I go see the bell in person? Should be in the school library.