My typeface was inspired by some words that were on the 1883 St. Louis and San Francisco railroad map which also includes the Arkansas division. The map is located in the Fayetteville Public Library in the Booklet of Northwest Arkansas Railroads and Maps 1881-1935. The map was donated by Searcy Maps Collection. The Frisco Line was organized in Missouri in 1876, and by 1881 it had feeder lines branching to Wichita Kansas; Vinita, Oklahoma; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. This system aided in the development of industrial hubs, agriculture, and resort communities. The first line to reach Arkansas was in 1880, running from Monet, Missouri to Rogers (Benton County). By the end of 1881 Frisco began building the first railroad tunnel in Arkansas, running 1,693 feet. This railroad had trestles as high as 117 feet. It was complete in 1886. By 1912 the Frisco Line began to financially struggle because of land shifts, floods. By 1932 it had abandoned many of its branch lines. With the shift to automobile transportation increasing in the 1950’s, Frisco became much leaner. The northwest Arkansas passenger service was terminated in 1965, and the Frisco continued to run until 1980 before selling off to Burlington Northern Railroad.
