Visitors To Watch History Relived On Saturday Morning

Months of planning will come to fruition on Saturday morning when an Amtrak passenger train stops in Wills Point for the first time in 40 years.

Approximately 170 passengers will disembark the train, and 20 will get on for a trip into Dallas. The train will stop twice, first to let passengers off the train, and then to re-enact President William Howard Taft’s stop in Wills Point 100 years ago.

Local resident and actor Kelly Farris will play the part of Taft, who will give a short speech before the train continues its’ trip westward.

Among the passengers exiting the train will be news crews from Dallas, Tyler and Longview.

"There have been a lot of people that worked on this event," said city manager Jim Stephens. "People from the chamber of commerce, the EDC, the historical committee have worked together to pull this together.

"Our mayor has invested a lot of time and effort to organize all the different efforts, and we want to thank the newspaper for its’ participation."

"Amtrak has also bent over backward to help us, and we really appreciate everything they have done," Stephens added. "We hope that this event will serve as an avenue to have Amtrak add Wills Point as a stop. That would have a tremendous economic impact."

Stephens also cited Patrick Henry who donated the private rail cars that will carry Farris and the other actors, as well as passengers.

Three buses will carry the approximate 170 passengers to Longview for the train ride back to Wills Point. The buses will leave at 6 a.m. The train will depart from Longview at 8:20, with arrival scheduled for 9:45 a.m.

Entertainment will be provided on N. Commerce St, beginning with gospel singing at 9 a.m., followed by a barbershop quartet and a country band. The Wills Point High School Band will perform approximately 10 minutes before the arrival of the "president’s train."