Marker #5568 - 1978. In 1913, area residents raised money to build a railroad line linking Fredericksburg to San Antonio. The 920-foot tunnel beneath this hill increased the total cost by $134,000 and required five months of hard labor. It opened a faster trade route for area merchants and farmers. Each time passenger trains entered the tunnel, small rocks, loosened by engine exhaust, were removed from the track and the windows were closed to keep out the coal smoke. The railroad operated until 1942 when the trackage was sold for scrap.
Incise in base: Marker Sponsor: S. O. A. W. Enterprises, Inc. (1978) (From Comfort take FM 473 east about 4 miles - turn N onto county road and continue about 9 miles to marker.)
Comments