Person Record

• Email to a Friend
• Send Us Feedback

Email Form

All fields are required.

Send an Email to

Your Email Address

Email Subject

Message

Feedback Form

Please help us by providing feedback.

Name (required)

Phone

Alternate Phone

Email Address (required)

Comments (required)

Images

‹

›

1 of 1977 Sam Mathis

Image Request Form

Please fill out this form to request an image and click the Submit Request button when done. The organization will contact you to confirm the details of your request.

Name (required)

Address

Phone (required)

Alternate Phone

Email Address (required)

Preferred Format

*Purpose: Provide information about how this image will be used: Description, title of publication, author, publisher, date of publication, number of copies produced, etc. (required)

Record Link
Media Link

Request Image

View Image Metadata

Metadata

Name	Mathis, Sam Blair
Born	8 Jan 1886
Birthplace	Texas
Notes	From Johnnie J. Myers: Sam Mathis started his interurban career with the Southern Traction Co. in 1913. He was the motorman on the first interurban car from Dallas to Waco on October 13, 1913. He worked on the passenger runs until 1928 when Texas Electric got into the freight business. He drove the first electric locomotive built in Texas Electric shops in 1928 (#800), on the test run on the Corsicana line. Sam returned and said it was not running properly and had the shop adjust the fingers on the controller. It ran great after that. He also ran locomotive # 903 that switched the Hormel packing plant in Oak Cliff. Many a night he would be called to get up and get a locomotive to go down to the RR interchange at Union Terminal and bring a load of cattle out to the Hormel plant, usually in real cold weather. He also ran the last scheduled Passenger Motor (#316, Train 238) at 9:00 pm., from Waco to Dallas on the last night of passenger service; December 31, 1948. After that, he drove a Texas Electric bus from Dallas to the Waco terminal for about a year. He decided during that time that he didn't like buses so he retired. He died in the late 1960's. He was a real gentleman. +++++++++ PHOTO USAGE: * Facebook post (Transportation Research Center) [1 Feb 2019]
Occupation	Motorman
Role	Motorman
Spouse	Myrtle Maud Waters
Children	Samuel Blair Mathis, Jr.; Myrtle Elizabeth Mathis Lucas

Related Records

1. 1938 Wreck of Passenger Motor 306 - 15 Oct 1938

   Although labeled as Passenger Motor 306, wrecked near Elm Mott Siding just north of Waco, research of Dallas Morning News articles in 1938 indicate this car was more likely the wreck that occurred on Saturday, 15 October 1938 at 1 p.m. Bluebonnet 306, southbound on the Dallas-Waco line, hit what was reported to be an open switch and "hurtled" into a gasoline car parked on a siding near Fernwood Avenue crossing at Lisbon, in the south Oak Cliff o...

   Record Type: Photo

   
2. Journal - Myrtle M. (Waters) Mathis Wedding Journal

   Record Type: Archive

   
3. Note - Section 10 [Reseach Notes for Book "Texas Electric Railway"] - #600 [Series: 600] Interview Notes

   Writing the Book Texas Electric Railway

   Record Type: Archive

   
4. Note - Section 10 [Reseach Notes for Book "Texas Electric Railway"] - #600 [Series: 600] Notes on #600 - #601

   Writing the Book Texas Electric Railway

   Record Type: Archive

   
5. Note - Section 10 [Reseach Notes for Book "Texas Electric Railway"] - #600 [Series: 600] Notes on #600-#607, #610

   Writing the Book Texas Electric Railway

   Record Type: Archive

   
6. Note - Section 10 [Reseach Notes for Book "Texas Electric Railway"] - #600 [Series: 600] Notes on #607 - #612

   Writing the Book Texas Electric Railway

   Record Type: Archive

   
7. Note - Section 9 [Reseach Notes for Book "Texas Electric Railway"] - #500 [Series: 500] Interview Notes

   Writing the Book Texas Electric Railway

   Record Type: Archive

   
8. Punch - Conductor's Ticket Punch

   Record Type: Object