The Cimarron Valley Railroad Museum was established by the Read family - Robert F. Read, Mazie Cox Read, and their son, Bob Read, Jr., in 1970 with the acquisition of the Santa Fe Depot from Yale, Oklahoma. Originally located in Cushing, Oklahoma, Robert F. Read donated the building and contents to the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza in 2011.
This particular depot was the site of E. H. Read's first agency from 1933-1936, following his many years of service at Cushing. Built in 1916, the depot was closed on April 19, 1968. The Read family felt it to be the place to house a large and growing collection of railroad memorabilia and had the building moved to Cushing in 1970.
The depot exhibits a great variety of railroad artifacts and rail memorabilia. There is a large collection of kerosene burning lanterns, uniform items, timetables, switch keys, locks, signal equipment, dining car china, silver settings, Fred Harvey items, a very extensive railroad library, bells, station signs, models, coach items, Pullman items, drinking glasses, badges, dining car chairs, linens, early day Santa Fe Transit, railroad advertising items, fire extinguishers, tools, furniture, stoves, official guides, and innumerable miscellaneous items of railroad heritage.
In 1974, the museum won an institutional award from the Oklahoma Heritage Association for its preservation of Oklahoma's Rail heritage and history.
