Hearing the sound of the train coming through town is a natural sound for Celeste Graves.

This sound has resonated through Magnolia for a hundred and fifty years.

"The trains don't bother me I've heard them all my life, but when somebody spends the night with me they can't sleep very good when a train comes through and blows. When they hear it, it bothers them."

Graves was born and raised in Magnolia. She says working on the railroad was her father's first love.

"When he first started working he was 16 years old and he worked on laying the rails. He helped do that when they first came through Magnolia," said Graves.

"He always wore white clothes, white pants, white shirt and the wonderful railroad hat that he loved so well," said Graves.

Residents say the train station in Magnolia was one of the main stops between Houston and Fort Worth and workers hauled tons of lumber cut by one of the original saw mills in the area.

A version of an original train car now sits in front of the Magnolia Depot.

The railroad has been in place in Magnolia since 1902 and with the rich history surrounding the city, the Union Pacific Railroad has now crowned "The City of Unity" an official Train Town.
It is also listed in the State Historical Register.

Graves, who is treasurer of the Historical Society of Magnolia, believes the railroad gave the city of Magnolia an economic boom as people moved to get jobs and live in the area.

"It made little old Magnolia prosper," said Graves.

Graves and other residents are proud to receive the honor.

To learn more about Magnolia, below is a link to the City Website.