Saginaw and Ouachita River Railroad

The Saginaw Lumber Company built the Ouachita Mountain region’s first extensive railroad system. The Saginaw and Ouachita River Railroad Company operated this narrow-gauge tap line from 1905 to 1913. The line connected the Saginaw Lumber Company mill, located on the east bank of the Ouachita River, to the Iron Mountain system of railroads approximately two and a half miles away. The Saginaw Historic Trail within DeGray Lake Resort State Park follows part of this rail system.

The line operated one steam locomotive and caboose, which carried freight, passengers, and mail. The woodburning, gear-driven Shay locomotive was fueled by burning rich pine knots. The Iron Mountain railroad company provided the cars necessary for transporting lumber. One train crew member and two or three trackmen were employed by the company. The Saginaw Lumber Company officers and clerks also served in these roles for the railroad company, because there was no train station. The tap line credited the lumber company for these services.

The Saginaw and Ouachita River Railroad received an allowance of three or four cents out of the joint rate for each 100 pounds of timber transported. The line operated at a substantial profit. In the year 1910, operating costs were $5,726.21, and revenues were $7,915.47. The company declared a dividend of $6,282.32 for the fiscal year; part of this came from surplus. Only $329.85 of this profit was from passenger transportation. Operations ceased in 1913, not long after the closure of the Saginaw Lumber Company in 1912.

For additional information:
“Saginaw and Ouachita River Railroad.” In Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. United States: L. K. Strouse, 1912. Online at https://www.google.com/books/edition/Interstate_Commerce_Commission_Reports/vNFx327oncQC?hl=en (accessed November 14, 2024).

“Saginaw Historic Trail.” Arkansas State Parks, DeGray Lake Resort State Park. https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/trails/saginaw-historic-trail (accessed November 14, 2024).

Smith, Kenneth L. Sawmill: The Story of Cutting the Last Great Virgin Forest East of the Rockies. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1986. Online at https://archive.org/details/sawmillstoryofcu0000smit/sawmillstoryofcu0000smit (accessed November 14, 2024).

Natalie J. Moore
Ash Flat, Arkansas