Railway sign reminder of history

The sign's been a part of downtown Clovis for 80 years, bringing attention to the railroad's presence in the city for 117 years.

And now that fluorescent marker on the south end of Main Street is brighter than most of the community can ever remember.

Late this summer, Clovis' George Krattiger heard the Santa Fe Railway sign might be coming down because of its state of disrepair. Krattiger, who also was part of a 1994 restoration project of the iconic sign, voiced concerns again.

"I voiced my disappointment that, in my opinion, I thought it was an asset to the downtown revival we are experiencing," Krattiger told The News late last year.

Railroad officials did indeed remove the sign in the fall – but only to restore it with new neon lights. It was back in time for the Christmas parade in December, reminding all to "Be Safe."

Newspaper archives show the sign was first placed outside the rail yards in the 1940s. Railroad historian Randy Dunson of Portales said it's since been a staple of railroad and Clovis history.

"For those of us who worked in the Santa Fe line, there was a lot of pride and we didn't want to see it go away and the city didn't want it to either. Clovis wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Santa Fe railroads," Dunson said.

Dunson said the sign was originally attached to the roof of the railway's freight office. He said the freight line was established in 1907 and began booming in 1908 as Clovis became a key division point on a new route west.

The Santa Fe line was famous not only in the Southwest but all over the United States, said Dunson. He said the line brought in a lot of tourism and economic opportunities to the community, with its last passenger train being in 1971.

"The sign was us bragging of who we are and where we are, in some ways. ... Santa Fe was pretty synonymous with luxury and adventure," Dunson said.

The line is now adopted by the BNSF Railway, Dunson said.

Dunson said the sign was removed in 1988 when the freight office was demolished. He said it was put into storage, but due to an uproar from the community, the sign was put back up in 1994.

Krattiger was among those who encouraged local business leaders to raise about $10,000 to restore the sign in '94.

Krattiger said it was one of the few times the community came together to advocate for the history of the town.

Almost 30 years later, Krattiger said his heart began to break seeing how the sign was deteriorating again.

He and others brought their concerns to the city and to BNSF Railway.

"I voiced my disapproval because I think it's an important part of the revitalization of downtown Clovis and having it down at the south end of Main Street," Krattiger said.

BNSF officials declined to talk about what happened next or the cost, but it sent the sign to Albuquerque for new neon.

"It's a lot brighter. To me it's brighter than it ever has been," Krattiger said.