THE ATSF RAILWAY IN WILLIAMS, ARIZONA PART IV: THE FREY MARCOS STATION COMPLEX

THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAILROAD IN WILLIAMS, ARIZONA PART IV: THE FREY MARCOS STATION COMPLEX

"Sheet No. SLT 24B of Valuation Section No. 2 of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, from survey station 9454 plus 00 to survey station 19504 plus 00. Chief Engineer, The A.T.&S.F. Ry. Co., Coast Lines. Williams Station Plat, The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Operated by The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co. Coast Lines, Albuquerque Division, Arizona June 30, 1915."

An overview of the Frey Marcos, the yard area, and the city of Williams between Bill Williams and Railroad Avenues.

It should be noted that a warehouse and industrial area was located to the south of the yard area. This stretched, in the earlier years, along the tracks from east to west, and included warehouses and various other businesses. At one time there were houses interspersed among the businesses. 

Notations for the warehouses, east to west:

Corrugated iron warehouses (4)

Wagon Scale (small building)

Babbit Brothers Corrugated Iron Warehouse (large structure.) There is also a notation 'Babbit Brothers," which could mean that all of the warehouses belonged to that company. Today, one of the structures still exists in the parking lot of the visitor's center.

close-up view of the Frey Marco station and surrounding structures. 

An earlier Sanborne Insurance Map shows a large water tower just to the south of the Frey Marcos, servicing the yard area.

 

Houses (4) Northeast of Depot (Green Arrows)

Chicken House

Cess Pools

Privies

These four houses were located on railroad property and were probably for employees of the railroad. These might have included a place for crews to stay between calls to service. 

The Frey Marcos and Depot (Blue Arrows)

Notations, east to west:

Portico of Depot, Depot

Harvey House

Grass Areas (2)

Brick Platform

Spur to the north of the Harvey House (Red Arrow) The spur provided access for supplying:

Water Tank (Elevated Wood Tub)

Buried Oil Tank

Coal House 

Section House area (Purple Arrows)

Steam line (Overhead): It appears that on the northside of the property, an overhead steam line provided steam to the houses and other structures, which could be used for heat. 

Section House

Electric Light

Chicken House

Privy

Wood Tub Water Tank

Mexican Bunk House(s) (Yellow Arrows)

A close-up image of a vintage postcard. The image is looking west, showing the downtown area of Williams, and the railroad yard. The Frey Marcos is right-of-center in the image. 

In this image a series of structures are located just to the east of the Frey Marcos. Today, this would be the parking lot for the expanded hotel. These structures have the same general appearance and similar design as to the houses shown on the map. 

Early photograph of a train arriving at the Williams Station complex (Arizona Memory Project; Williams Arizona collection.)

The colonnaded front porch and walkway faced the tracks. In the background is the top of the water tower. There are two main tracks passing the station separated by a walkway. The third track from the station can be seen entering the west end of the yard. The yard area is on the left of the image, South in direction. 

Postcards Authors Collection

Two postcard images showing the FREY MARCOS. The first image is looking to the northwest, the second northeast. Note the walkways and the number of tracks. These was probably publicity photos taken at the time of completion of the complex. 

NEXT: PART V: THE YARD AREA WEST OF THE FREY MARCOS