Originally chartered as the Acme, Red River and Northern Railway, the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway (QA&P) served the Quanah area in the early twentieth century. The railway was created in 1902, but the name was changed in 1909 when Quanah was chosen as its headquarters. In 1910, the company built a headquarters building at 105 Mercer Street that encompassed offices and a depot. The railway was the vision of Sam Lazarus of St. Louis, Missouri, president of the Acme Cement & Plaster Company in Acme, TX. He wished to connect larger existing rail lines spanning eastern destinations such as St. Louis, Kansas City and Memphis to Los Angeles for service via a long bridge line through west Texas, from the Red River to El Paso. Additionally, the railway would move his own products to these markets. However, the “Pacific” goal never materialized, and the railway’s complete service ran from Quanah in the east to Floydada (Floyd Co.) In the west, about 117 total miles. Still, the railway successfully hauled passengers, goods, and mail for many decades. In 1911, the Frisco Railway purchased an ownership share in the QA&P, although Lazarus remained as president. The town of Quanah saw an immediate boost thanks to the presence of a new railway. Its population doubled, and property values increased fifty percent. However, the 1920s and 1930s brought hardship to the company. In 1926, Sam Lazarus died. The Depression and the Dust Bowl devastated the area served by the QA&P. The railway continued for several decades as a Frisco subsidiary until being merged with new owner Burlington Northern Railway in 1981. The lines west of Acme were ultimately abandoned soon thereafter. Nevertheless, the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway remains a major part of the story of the commerce and development of Quanah. (2022)