This information was found in the vertical files of the genealogy department of the Longview Public Library.

THE AVINGER CITIZEN
Special Historical Edition
June 18, 1954

MUCH RAIL SHIPMENT IN PAST YEARS

Before the day of the improved highway and the automobile practically all incoming and outgoing commodities to the town were transported by rail. Marshall Felker ran a dray service for a number of years and was later followed in the same business by his brother Earnest Felker. This dray business got most of its hauling transporting flour, sugar, canned goods and every other kind of commodity from the box cars to the various merchants.

Many people probably recall how a refrigerator car would be spotted on the siding every Tuesday with all of the merchant's most products therin. Each merchant would go down and pick out his pro rata amound and have it delivered by dray service to his respective store. Kids used to like to climb up on top of the refrigerator cars, open the hatches and suck on the salty ice that could be filched from the compartments at each end.