This cache placement is part of the Garland History GeoTour v2.0. Should you wish to download the GeoTour 2.0 passport to earn our beautiful new GeoCoin, you can find the GeoTour page here. The log will contain a secret word which you must enter on your passport in the appropriate slot.
The original Santa Fe depot was built soon after the Santa Fe Railroad came to town in 1886. The depot’s waiting room included cozy reclining seats and a warm stove. It was located between Main Street and Avenue A, just east of Fifth Street. In January 1901, the depot burned down. The origin of the fire was unknown, although there were suspicions that the depot was robbed and then set on fire. A replacement depot was not completed until late July 1901. In the interim a boxcar was used, which had many residents complaining about the construction delay.
The new depot was seen as quite an improvement from the old one. While the location and exterior were the same, the new depot was 20 feet longer and 6 feet wider. There were two segregated waiting rooms, one on each side of the ticket office. The ticket office, with the bay window, included a telegraph and office space for the workers. Toward the back of the depot was the freight room, an elevated room where packages and luggage would be loaded and unloaded from wagons and trains.
With the end of passenger trains in the late 1960s, the depot closed. In 1973, it was acquired by the City of Garland and moved to Museum Plaza, behind City Hall. During this relocation, bathrooms and a partition wall in one of the waiting rooms were installed. The newly established Garland Landmark Society opened the Garland Landmark Museum inside the historic depot on Sept. 29, 1974. In May 2013, the Santa Fe Depot was moved to its current location at Heritage Crossing and continues to serve as a museum for Garland’s history.
About the cache: This is a gadget cache. All tools needed are included. As you work through the field puzzle keep checking the door on the left to see if it will push in. After signing the log and replacing the cache. Return the nails to the top two holes. Please check to make sure the side door latches.
DUCK CREEK NIGHT/DAY CACHE (Day coordinates)
If you're doing the Duck Creek cache as a day cache, you'll need some information from this location fo build the coordinates of the final. This cache will provide the first two digits of the needed coordinates. When you open this cache, in addition to the log you'll need to sign, you'll find two of the numbers that you will need. Make a note of the values of A and B.