The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad arrived in Dublin in late 1889 to establish a north and south line of transportation. The railroad had arrived in Harbin earlier that year and funding was gathered to continue to Dublin and beyond. Four trains passed through each day. By 1891 John Harbin was appointed the railroad agent there. (The ECGS Journal Vol. XV, No 1) The Railroad Commission of Texas met with citizens from Harbin on February 20, 1904. They asked that the Fort Worth and Rio Grande consider a petition filed with the commission asking for a depot for freight and passenger traffic and providing an agent at the station to transact business. The Commission gave the railroad until May 15th, 1906 to build a depot in Harbin. (The Austin American-Statesman 1904) It is believed that depot was completed in 1906.
William W. Barber was employed as a railroad engineer for the Frisco. He was in charge of the pump station at Brookesmith in Brown County between Brownwood and Brady. He died in an accident when he fell from the top of a railroad water tank. Margaret his widow, later married 51 year old William E. Hutchins a railroad worker. She worked as a railroad agent at Harbin. She wanted to retire in 1921, but the people of Harbin begged her not to. She died in 1933.
The University of Missouri digital archive site has a collection of floor plans from Frisco stations in 1920. The Harbin station is included. The building was at that time owned by the Frisco Railroad. The train station floor plans show that most of the interior of the Harbin station was living quarters for Mrs. Hutchins. It included a small waiting room and ticket office. Sanitary facilities were outside. The building was 26‘ x 42‘ The FW&RG track must have been leased by the Frisco Railroad. The Frisco entered bankruptcy in 1913. In 1937 the Frisco sold the Fort Worth & Rio Grande tracks and stations to the Santa Fe for $1.5 million (The Texas State Historical Commission /tshaonline.org/Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway) As freight traffic through Harbin diminished, the railroad station was eventually sold off and moved to Dublin. The original Harbin Station was moved from Harbin to Dublin to a corner on Hawk Street. The owner of the property suspected that the station was moved in one piece to Dublin and was then cut in half to make two rent houses. The buildings still have some of the early