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Prior to 1930, supplies being shipped via railroad to the town of Van stopped in Grand Saline, ten miles away. From the railhead, heavy steel oil field equipment was loaded onto heavy trucks, tracked vehicles or wagons pulled by as many as 20 mule teams. The unpaved roads these vehicles took to reach their final destination could be treacherous. In bad weather, many roads were impassable due to mud. At times, it took all day to travel the distance between the two cities. On October 14, 1929, the Jarman Discovery Well in Van began producing oil, and there was a rush to import oil equipment and export oil products from the area. However, the winter of 1929-1930 was particularly harsh, magnifying the transportation issue. A railroad was the solution. On February 8, 1930, the Texas Short Line Railway Company applied for permission to build a spur line from Grand Saline to Van. Permissions were given, right-of-ways obtained, and railroad engineers laid out the track.
On July 10, 1930, the line officially opened. From the northern edge of Van, the tracks paralleled West Florida Street and ended at the loading dock of Pure Oil Company’s warehouse and equipment yard. A large event was held and many dignitaries, including Governor Daniel Moody, attended. By 1935, with the line overburdened with cargo and passengers, the state approved funding to construct State Highway 110 north, a road completed with WPA funding in 1937. The farmers of Van found additional benefit to the spur line, as it opened up new markets for their produce. Rail dependence was short-lived, however, and in March 1962, the line from Grand Saline to Van was abandoned. In 1980, the tracks were scrapped for salvage. For the short time it existed, the railroad spur line to Van oil field brought economic boom and modernization to Van. (2022) |
