The Crash at Crush

A head-on collision between two locomotives was staged on Sept. 15, 1896, as a publicity stunt for the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad. Over 30,000 spectators gathered at the crash site, named "crush" for MKT passenger agent William G. Crush, who conceived the idea. About 4 p.m. the trains were sent speeding toward each other. Contrary to mechanics' predictions, the steam boilers exploded on impact, propelling pieces of metal into the crowd. Two persons were killed and many others injured, including Jarvis Deane of Waco, who was photographing the event. (1976)

The Crash at Crush is a historical marker in West, McLennan County, dedicated in 1976. It is one of 198 historical markers documented in McLennan County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 224 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.8044, -97.0921 near West. The nearest cataloged historic site is Best Theatre Building (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Groppe Building, West, and First Presbyterian Church of West.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5309005315. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.