An illustrated short story: Trains Collide in Hutto, Texas on November 28, 1928

Numerous people were injured and others may have died later because of their injuries resulting from the 1928 Hutto, Texas train wreck that happened about nine football field lengths to the west of the Hutto Depot.

Picture and research by Mike Fowler, Updated February 3, 2026

According to the Port Arthur News report of November 28, 1928: “Austin, Nov. 28 (AP) -- The engineer, fireman and a brakeman on I. & G. N. southbound passenger train were injured, probably fatally and at least seven chair car passengers hurt this morning when the train crashed into a freight engine one-half mile west of Hutto. The accident occurred in a dense fog. Both engines were virtually demolished, and track was torn up for more than 150 yards on the main line.

The injured included J. G. Smith; Ben Butler; Marvin Cooke and Ed Mayer, all of San Antonio. M. E. Titton of Kansas City, who was said to be on his way to Austin to act as an umpire in the Texas University - Texas Aggie football game tomorrow, also was injured, but the extent of his hurts had not yet been learned. Bonner Frizzell, superintendent of Palestine schools, suffered a fractured shoulder.” As a little lighter sidenote, the University of Texas soundly defeated Texas A&M at Texas Memorial Stadium by a score of 19-0 on November 29, 1928. It is not known if Mr. M. E. Titton of Kansas City was able to referee this game. A second account of this same train wreck was described in a letter written to her aunt from a ten-year-old Hutto 4^th grader, Louise Harkins: “November 28^th, 1928, at 5:30 a.m., a big train happened near Hutto.

A bad fog, and the engineer on the freight train ran into a passenger train. It split a freight car in half, and the chickens were running all around the train. They had ice cream, cheese, butter, milk, cream, and chickens all over the ground. No one was killed, but 4 or 5 were hurt.” As an adult, I knew Louise and she and I frequently talked about Hutto history.  Louise Harkins later confirmed this account of the train wreck to me (Mike Fowler).

Mike Fowler is a local historian and an author of The Capitol Story: Statehouse in Texas, Hutto Lutheran Church: A Century of Community Faith, Images of America: Hutto, and other books and publications. Mike is also a retired State of Texas employee with twenty-five years’ service who was also elected and served for twenty-five years as Councilman and Mayor of the City of Hutto.

Mike is known as the pro-growth “Hippo Mayor” who helped secure long-term water and purchase the Co-op site for the City of Hutto among many other pro-Hutto accomplishments. Mike was selected by the Hutto Chamber of Commerce board as their “Hutto Citizen of the Year” in 2006-2007. He is still a strong advocate for Hutto Old Town (HOT) and our entire community. Mike is also a State of Texas licensed Real Estate Broker and owns TEX US Real Estate. Mike earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Life Member of the University of Texas Ex-Students Association. In 2025, Mike Fowler was voted by the community via iHutto as the “Best Hutto Citizen”. On January 24, 2026, Mike Fowler was honored and presented the “Ed Schmidt Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Hutto Chamber of Commerce as voted on by its membership for his many contributions to our community.

Mike Fowler can be reached by e-mail at mikefowlertexus@gmail.com or call him at 512-736-2000. The above is original research by Mike Fowler and the information, illustrations, and photographs herein are for business, and public use provided that the information and materials are properly credited to all of the cited sources. Also be certain to properly credit these and any additional sources referenced in the above material. Please share to preserve and promote our community history!