Southern Pacific Railroad stained glass window

This stained glass window came from the Southern Pacific Depot in Sanderson, Texas, which served as a main terminal for the Southern Pacific Railroad for over a century.

The wooden clapboard depot was constructed in 1882. The trackside facade had an extensive porch that ran almost the entire length of the building, providing much needed refuge from the Texas sun. A 50 foot long addition was added to the west end of the building around 1910 to accommodate an expanded passenger waiting room, ticketing area, baggage facility, and offices for the Railway Express Agency and Western Union. The depot also included an apartment for the station master and a lunchroom where passengers could get off the train for a quick meal.

The Southern Pacific Railroad remained an important force in Sanderson until 1995, when it moved its crew change terminal out of the town; this led to the abandonment of the depot and the other railroad structures. Despite numerous attempts to save the depot, it was demolished in 2012.