In August 1907, an article in the
Atlanta Constitution brought to attention the deteriorated state of the locomotive and its historical significance. A fundraising effort began for its preservation. In response, NC&StL president John W. Thomas stated that he was willing to turn the engine to either the State of Georgia or the City of Atlanta, should either be willing to accept it. Accordingly, the
Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the need to preserve the engine. However, neither the railway nor the state took any physical action to move or protect the engine, which thus remained derelict on a siding. days, on static display in
Grant Park, circa 1910-1912 A grassroots campaign led by the
Atlanta Georgian newspaper and an ad-hoc group (composed of the Atlanta chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Inman Park Students' Club, and the Atlanta Woman's Club) succeeded in securing the locomotive for the City of Atlanta instead. On February 17, 1908, the
Texas was officially donated to the "Ladies of Atlanta" by the NC&StL. The group, in turn, transferred the engine to the city. However, despite the
Texas's donation, the locomotive remained in the W&A yard. In 1910, Atlanta artist and historian,
Wilbur G. Kurtz, began writing articles in the
Atlanta Constitution advocating preservation of the
Texas. The following year, the engine was moved to
Grant Park, though it remained exposed to the elements and funds for its restoration were still lacking. In 1927, the
Texas was placed in the basement of the newly constructed
Cyclorama, but remained unrestored or altered from its retirement appearance in 1907. As stated, during its service life, the
Texas underwent numerous rebuilds and modifications. Most notably, the engine's
smokestack was replaced with a diamond design suited for coal-burning, and its cowcatcher had been replaced with a wooden step for use in yard service. The locomotive's current tender originally belonged to the
United States Military Railroad's
Dalton locomotive, built in 1864 by the
Mason Machine Works of
Taunton, Massachusetts. The
Dalton was sold to the Western & Atlantic after the war, renamed
William MacRae, and operated on the W&A until retired in 1890, with its tender salvaged for the
Texas when the latter was briefly returned to service in 1900. In 1936, the locomotive, under the guidance of Kurtz, was cosmetically restored to an approximation of its wartime appearance. The engine's smokestack was replaced with one resembling the balloon design of the Civil War era, its horizontal strap-iron slat cowcatcher was restored, as were the nameplates on the sides of the boiler. The basement in which the engine was placed, while adequate to protect the engine, had been criticized for its small size which made viewing the engine difficult. As with the
General, several proposals had been made as to where the
Texas should be displayed, including placing it on display in the
Atlanta Union Station, at the site of present-day
Underground Atlanta, at
Stone Mountain Park, among others - none of which materialized. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was growing concern about the condition of the panoramic painting of the
Battle of Atlanta (the Atlanta Cyclorama), which had suffered from storm damage as well as long periods of neglect. In 1972, the City of Atlanta developed plans to renovate the Cyclorama building, including a complete restoration of the painting as well as an enlarged display area for the
Texas. However, the renovation did not begin until 1979, and was completed in 1982. ==Contemporary==