Historic Kyle Train Depot

     Located in Kyle, Texas. The City of Kyle might be situated on an interstate highway, but it owes its existence to an earlier means of travel—the railroad.  The first rail line was laid through Hays County in 1880, and Kyle was founded that summer. The new town drew residents and businesses from nearby communities to a more prosperous life along the tracks, according to Kate Johnson, chairwoman of the Hays County Historical Commission.  “When the railroad came, it was a boon to commerce. It made Kyle,” she said. “Roads were horrible then, and rail travel was the only safe and reliable way to get to San Marcos and Austin.” For more than half a century, the railroad served as the primary connector between Kyle and the world beyond Hays County, Johnson said. The train depot was the place where those two worlds intersected—a center for community activity and a gateway to Kyle until the ascendancy of highway travel following World War II. ***The Depot as it appeared in and around 1962.  It was moved off and has since returned to its original location. Great Big Signs, Inc. was involved in its restoration.