More than one hundred years ago, Arthur Stilwell built 2,300 miles of railroad, founded
forty cities and added $1 billion to the U.S. economy. He was a visionary. He was
controversial. He picked San Angelo for a main depot on his Kansas City, Mexico and
Orient railway line. But he hadn’t counted on the Mexican Revolution and challenging
characters like the revolutionista general Pancho Villa. Meanwhile, San Angelo wrestled
with neighboring Texas town Sweetwater for the right to host the depot.

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Dr. Linda Thorsen Bond sorted through scores of sources to piece together the fascinating fragments of Stilwell’s dream of steam

 

The book, "San Angelo and Arthur Stilwell's Dream of Steam" and a DVD of the museum's performance are available in the museum's gift shop.