Smyrna Depot's original sign has finally returned home.

Town of Smyrna Manager Brian D. Hercules accepted the original depot sign from the Cowan Railroad Museum this morning. 

"I'm grateful to the Cowan Railroad Museum for returning this piece of history home to Smyrna," shared Hercules. "The railroad and depot are central to our history and symbolic of economic development in our Town. We are excited to preserve and display this sign."

Through a chance meeting at Union Station in Nashville, a connection was made between Susan Gulley and Tom Knowles. Susan, a Smyrna resident and COO of Carpe Artista, and Tom Knowles, curator of the Cowan Railroad Museum, discovered that the Smyrna Depot sign was displayed in the Cowan Museum. Arrangements were made to deliver the sign to the Smyrna Depot. 

The railway has played a vital role in the history of Smyrna. A combined freight and passenger house, the Smyrna Railroad Depot was erected in 1851, and replaced in 1873. It was a direct result of the charter granted by the State of Tennessee on December 11, 1845, to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad to connect this area with the seaports of Charleston and New Orleans.

Photo Attached: Ron Alley (Smyrna resident and CEO of Carpe Artista), Tom Knowles (curator, Cowan Railroad Museum), and Brian D. Hercules (Town of Smyrna Manager)