1096 - Rock Island Railroad Station

The Enid and Anadarko line was the first railway to come to the city of Lawton. Built in 1901, the line was integral in connecting the city and Fort Sill to the rest of the state, as the other closest rail station was 30 miles away through the unsettled countryside.

Three years later, the railway was purchased by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. They had a strong presence throughout Oklahoma and much of the United States, but would eventually face some difficulties. The Moore-Reid syndicate took ownership and recklessly expanded, throwing the company into its first of three bankruptcies. The railway was forced to sell branches off or close them entirely. The issues only persisted when World War II ended, and the company was forced to close entirely after a failed merger. The Lawton passenger station was torn down in the spring of 1966. Comanche Ace Home Center occupies the site today. The old freight depot was at the southeast corner of Railroad and D. What was once a prosperous and secure company in the industry ended up creating miles of defunct track.

In 1982, the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad Company made an agreement to use the defunct tracks of Rock Island to restore freight service from Salina, Kansas, to Dallas, Texas, by way of Oklahoma City and Lawton. The decision was a boon to the city of Lawton. The biggest user of the line was local concrete manufacturer Dolese Brothers Company, who had been forced to run trucks from their rock quarry north of Lawton prior to the trains rolling again.

Thousands of farmers and ranchers also relied on the old railway. The service had been essential, as "it's the best way to the Gulf for all farm products." With the agreement, businesses in Lawton once again had a more consistent mode of transportation.